Yokozuna Hoshoryu (right) tussles with No 3 maegashira Oho in a Spring Grand Sumo Tournament match on March 14, 2026, in Osaka. (©KYODO)
Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu notched his sixth victory of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday, March 14, in Osaka.
With his victory over third-ranked maegashira Oho, Hoshoryu improved to 6-1.
Entering the second week of the 15-day sumo tournament, Hoshoryu shared the top spot on the leaderboard with five other wrestlers, including both sekiwake, Kirishima and Takayasu, in the makuuchi (top) division.
The other wrestlers with only one loss are fourth-ranked maegashira Takanosho, fifth-ranked maegashira Kotoshoho, winner of the July 2025 tourney in Nagoya, and No 10 maegashira Gonoyama.
Also Saturday, Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki, winner of back-to-back Emperor's Cups, slipped to 3-4 in Osaka. Komusubi Atamifuji (4-3) secured the win with a well-executed overarm throw.
Pursuing promotion to yokozuna, sumo's highest rank, Aonishiki has endured a disappointing start in the Spring Basho. He lost for the third time in his last four matches on Saturday.
For Atamifuji, his Day 7 triumph was a rematch of his playoff match against the rising Ukrainian star at January's New Year Basho.
Atamifuji outwrestled the youthful ozeki, who turns 22 on March 23. Meticulous preparation paid off, studying how he lost to Aonishiki in January.
"I've watched the replay countless times," Atamifuji was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "I was able to produce things within my capability. I'm readying myself, however the opponent decides to come at me."
Onosato Withdraws from Sumo Tournament
Yokozuna Onosato pulled out of the Spring Basho on Wednesday after three consecutive losses at the outset of the tournament.
In succession, Wakatakakage, Atamifuji and Fujinokawa recorded victories over five-time Emperor's Cup winner Onosato.
On Wednesday, the Japan Sumo Association received a medical certificate from Onosato that stated he has a dislocated left shoulder, Sports Nippon reported. The diagnosis includes a recommendation of three weeks of rest and treatment for the injury.
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Paralympics
Japan Collects 3 Silver Medals in Italy
Veteran snowboarder Daichi Oguri earned a runner-up finish in the men's banked slalom competition at the Milan Cortina Paralympics on Friday, March 13.
At Cortina Para Snowboard Park, Oguri completed his run in 59.02 seconds to secure the silver medal.
For the 45-year-old Oguri, the third time was the charm at the Paralympics as he grabbed his elusive first medal.
"This is the best, it's great, I did even better in the second run," Oguri said, according to Kyodo News. "I finally won a medal. As a team, we finally got one, too, so I'm relieved."
Also this week, Momoka Muraoka won a pair of silver medals in women's Alpine skiing. She claimed her first medal of the 2026 Paralympics on Monday in the women's Super-G sitting event, then collected her second runner-up award in the giant slalom on Thursday.
With her performance in Thursday's race, Muraoka, 29, became Japan's most successful female Paralympian with her 11th career medal. Skier Kuniko Obinata amassed 10 medals in her distinguished Paralympic career.
Japanese athletes received seven medals, including four gold, at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics.
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Soccer
Japan to Face Philippines in Women's Asian Cup Quarterfinals
After an unbeaten run in the group stage of the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, Nadeshiko Japan shifted its focus to the knockout phase of the tournament.
Japan faces the Philippines in the quarterfinals on Sunday, March 15, in Sydney.
In three previous editions of the Women's Asian Cup against the Philippines, Japan is 3-0.
Nils Nielsen, Japan's Danish manager, said past results won't guarantee anything for his squad this time.
"The Philippines are a very hard-working, disciplined, and interesting side to watch, and it's going to be a challenge for us," Nielsen told reporters in Sydney. "Now it's no longer the group stage. These are knockout games, so either you win and go through, or you lose, and you're out, and you cannot win the tournament anymore."
Nielsen added, "But I feel we have the tools to counter the challenges we face. We are preparing for all kinds of scenarios so that we can adapt quickly to whatever happens during the game, especially if things don't go our way."
Philippines coach Mark Torcaso said his team will face a formidable challenge against Japan.
"The girls have fought hard and played three big games, and in the next match, we have to focus on better transitions," Torcaso said on Saturday, according to the Asian Football Confederation website. "But given it's Japan, I know our chances will be limited, so we must take full advantage of whatever opportunities we get and be disciplined in our game."
In Group C matches, Japan topped Taiwan 2-0 on March 4, then whipped India 11-0 on March 7, a match in which Riko Ueki and Hinata Miyazawa scored three goals apiece. On March 10, Japan wrapped up group play with a 4-0 win over Vietnam.
Basketball
Japan Women Fall to 0-3 in World Cup Qualifying Tourney
After dropping its first two games of a 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup qualifying tournament in Istanbul, Japan returned to action on Saturday, March 14. Facing tourney host Turkey, Japan coach Corey Gaines' squad picked up its third defeat of the week.
Turkey outscored Japan 40-26 in the second half en route to a 75-66 victory.
Japan led 41-35 at halftime. Mai Yamamoto had a team-high 18 points.
On March 11, Japan lost 77-65 to Hungary in its first game in Turkey, followed by an 81-71 defeat to Australia the next day. In the latter match, Kokoro Tanaka had a team-best 17 points and Yamamoto and Aika Hirashita scored 16 apiece. Rui Machida dished out 10 assists.
The top three teams in the standings will earn berths to the 16-nation global tournament in Berlin in September.
Room for Improvement
Gaines said Japan has shown improvement in Turkey, but noted that the team still needs to raise its level of play.
After the 10-point loss to Australia on March 12, Gaines said Japan needed a better performance in the fourth quarter, when his team was outscored 23-4, to earn the win.
"We were able to play a fast-paced game through the third quarter, but our pace dropped in the fourth quarter and we couldn't close it out," Gaines said. "To win, we need to maintain that pace for the full 40 minutes."
Prior to Japan's game against Turkey, Gaines maintained a positive outlook.
"We've already played our two toughest opponents," the head coach said on Thursday. "The next three games are crucial, but I've seen the team grow, and our momentum hasn't faded. We've been able to address the areas that needed correction. If we continue to play the way we did today, we'll be fine."
Japan meets Canada on March 15 and Argentina two days later.
Best of the West in the B.League
The Nagoya Diamond Dolphins won their fourth straight B.League game on Saturday, March 14, topping the host Koshigaya Alphas 101-72.
With the victory, Nagoya improved to 34-9, the same record as the Nagasaki Velca, who have sat atop the Western Conference standings throughout the 2025-26 season.
Scott Eatherton paced the Diamond Dolphins with 16 points. Aaron Henry and Keita Imamura both scored 15. Imamura knocked down 5 of 7 3-point attempts. Playmaker Takumi Saito directed the offense and finished with nine assists.
On Saturday, Nagaska lost 95-81 to the Ryukyu Golden Kings, who improved to 29-14.
Also in the hunt for a playoff spot, the SeaHorses Mikawa (30-13) sit in third place in the West.
Quote of the Week
"When I was on the podium looking at the crowd, I had two thoughts. First, I will never see this audience and this atmosphere again. And second, I am just very happy and grateful to be able to experience this."
―Ten-time Olympic medalist Miho Takagi, reflecting on the final medal ceremony of her career. Takagi retired after placing third in the women's allround at the ISU Speed Skating World Championships on March 8 in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
