Fallout from the invasion of Ukraine reached the sporting world this week, with numerous international governing bodies, including FIFA and World Rugby, imposing suspensions on Russian athletes and teams.
In amateur sumo, repercussions from the conflict between the two countries have long been felt, with 2008 Ukrainian world heavyweight champion Olga Davydko switching allegiance to Russia following the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Davydko won a second world title in 2018, and such has been her new team’s dominance over the past 15 years that the World Games' decision to bar Russian athletes from this summer’s competition in Alabama has, out of all the sports at the 2022 games, had the greatest impact on sumo.
Fittingly, Ukraine figures to be the biggest beneficiary of Russia’s suspension and should now dominate the women’s tournament while significantly increasing its podium finishes in the men’s competition.
One woman saved from potentially having to play the role of peacemaker between the warring eastern European nations is Katrina Watts.
The Russian-speaking Australian polyglot is arguably the most recognizable figure in global amateur sumo, and someone the International Sumo Federation (IFS) has long relied on to ensure the smooth running of its international meets.
Watts has been a prominent figure in the sport for over 30 years and since the 1990s has been a mainstay at World Championships, where she undertakes numerous roles including stadium announcer, translator, IFS official and general problem-solver.
Unlike most non-Japanese in amateur sumo though, Watts’ road into the sport came through the professional game.
As with many foreign nationals in pre-internet era Japan, she first encountered sumo on television while waiting for the English-language world news segment, and later got hooked when attending a live tournament.
A keen photographer, Watts had begun taking pictures of sumo when, during a regional tour event, she noticed one rikishi having his topknot styled as another sat alongside playing with a Gameboy. “I thought, ‘Oh that’s such an interesting shot — the traditional and the modern.’”
Her pictures eventually drew the attention of young rikishi, who she discovered all wanted photos of themselves.
One connection led to another, and Watts soon became close with many of the sport’s higher-ranked rikishi and officials.
“I didn’t need the casting couch” she laughs, recalling the time she was quizzed by a well-known sumo journalist about how she had gotten so deep into the sport. “I worked my way into sumo with celluloid — and later my baking skills.”
Watts progressed from friend and photographer to a more formal involvement, and when the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) traveled to the Royal Albert Hall in 1991, they brought the Sydney native along.
In London, she took rikishi and officials shopping and sightseeing, while continuing to photograph proceedings. One photo she took of Kyokudozan with a Beefeater made the back cover of a sumo magazine.
It was a career path that only came about by chance.
“In Australia I was working in high school teaching English and modern languages. I had done two years of Japanese at university, and I introduced it at the school, but the gap between my knowledge of Japanese and that of the students was dwindling, so I took the opportunity to go to Japan — ostensibly just for two years — but after six months I wrote saying, ‘Not coming back.’”
Watts' involvement in the foreign tours continued and deepened following the 1991 trip. She accompanied the JSA to France, was the stadium announcer in Canada and helped Akebono make a farewell speech in German in Austria.
When sumo visited her hometown of Sydney, Watts battled with the JSA board to allow yokozuna Akebono to end his farewell address with “goodbye Aussies,” which they felt was too informal. She got her way though and was vindicated when it was met with a rousing ovation from the crowd.
One of her more interesting translating jobs came while working with the JSA in Canada. “A radio station from Quebec wanted to interview Musashimaru but they didn’t want him to speak in English.” That resulted in the Hawaii-raised yokozuna using Japanese with Watts and she in turn translating what he said into French.
Despite teaching at Kobe Shoin Women's University for the entire duration of her 25 year stay in Japan, Watts also found time to work on both the Japanese- and English-language broadcasts for NHK and contribute to various publications.
Her extensive contacts and knowledge of the sport meant it was no surprise when the International Sumo Federation tapped her to help when the World Championship was to be first held outside Japan.
Describing the 1999 tournament in Germany as a “shambles,” Watts recalls how the lack of organization led to the women’s event not having enough countries to be considered a world championship.
“They did all sorts of terrible things. They wanted ring girls in skimpy silky things, they wanted taiko drumming all the way through, and in the program they had (an unauthorized) photo of Konishiki advertising an insurance company.”
That page had to be torn out of every program before the event, which caused further problems as a major Japanese sponsor’s ad was on the reverse.
Despite the rocky start, international amateur sumo has grown and held tournaments around the world over the following two decades.
Whether it's Poland, Mongolia, Estonia, or Brazil — the Australian veteran has been there.
With an understanding of professional and amateur sumo few can match, and the ability to speak French, German, Japanese and English, Watts is irreplaceable — a fact the sport’s governing body has recognized in making her an IFS director and publicity officer.
Watts also speaks Russian – a language she learned primarily to help with her work in amateur sumo. Many of the sport’s pre-eminent countries have coaches and officials that grew up behind the Iron Curtain.
With the Russian team suddenly out of this summer’s games, and the next World Championships — slated to be held in Moscow — now looking to be at risk, Watts' particular expertise looks to remain vital in amateur sumo for the foreseeable future.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.