Screams of support, cries of anguish and the sweet aroma of bintsuke hair oil filled the air at the Sumida Futsal Arena in Tokyo on Sunday during the inaugural Dream Girls Cup — a sumo tournament for school-age girls that has the backing of the sport’s biggest name.

As with the Hakuho Cup for boys, which took place the following day at the nearby Ryogoku Kokugikan, the Dream Girls Cup was fronted by Miyagino stablemaster (former yokozuna Hakuho).

A total of 201 young athletes, divided into various age and weight categories, took part in the tournament.

Elementary, middle and high school girls represented 76 different sumo clubs from across the nation, with the tournament also given a slight international flavor by the inclusion of one athlete from the United States and one from Brazil.

As an elder in the Japan Sumo Association, Miyagino had same-day obligations at the Grand Sumo Tournament (a one-day event held each February) and wasn’t able to make an appearance at the Dream Girls Cup until early evening.

That didn’t prevent the meet from having an ōzumō atmosphere, however, with numerous rikishi in attendance, mingling with the crowd and supporting athletes from clubs that they had been a part of when they were children.

Hakuho, now known as Miyagino stablemaster, alongside his daughter, who won a silver medal, at the Dream Girls Cup on Sunday in Tokyo.
Hakuho, now known as Miyagino stablemaster, alongside his daughter, who won a silver medal, at the Dream Girls Cup on Sunday in Tokyo. | John Gunning

The legendary former yokozuna eventually made it to the venue in time to see one of his daughters in action and was on hand when a silver medal was presented to her younger sister. Miyagino beamed with pride throughout that ceremony and had a smile on his face almost the entire time he was at the meet.

Although he was not made available to the media on the day, the 45-time Emperor’s Cup winner’s delight at the establishment of a companion tournament for girls to the Hakuho Cup was clearly evident, and reflected his remarks in the official program where he called it “a women's sumo tournament that I have long aspired to.”

“I believe that age and gender have nothing to do with the love of sumo,” he added. “The Hakuho Cup, which I have been hosting since 2010, is a tournament for boys, but the sisters of the athletes who came to the venue to support them said, `We want to try sumo too' and `I wish there was a tournament where women could also participate.'

“It is a great joy for me that a competition that responds to such voices has been established. We hope that this tournament will shine new light on women's sumo competitions and be a major step in further popularizing sumo in the future.”

The Dream Girls Cup thankfully avoided joining the embarrassingly long line of women’s sports promotions and events in which men have occupied the most prominent positions.

Comedy duo Harisenbon were the tournament’s celebrity guests, while Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s address in the official program was given equal space to that of Miyagino. The medals were presented by Japan national sumo team stars Miku Yamanaka and Manaho Nozaki.

While understandably not yet on the scale of the Hakuho Cup, a large number of athletes and the packed arena at the inaugural Dream Girls Cup made it clear that women’s sumo is far larger and more established than it was even a decade ago.

Corey Morrison, head of Dallas Sumo Club, who was visiting Japan and training at various professional sumo stables, called the Dream Girls Cup “Absolutely inspiring to see. In America women’s sumo has grown a lot — it is booming at the moment — and it's really cool to see all of these people out here cheering on girls of different ages.”

While understandably not yet on the scale of the Hakuho Cup, a large number of athletes and a packed arena at the inaugural Dream Girls Cup made it clear that women’s sumo is far larger and more established than it was even a decade ago.
While understandably not yet on the scale of the Hakuho Cup, a large number of athletes and a packed arena at the inaugural Dream Girls Cup made it clear that women’s sumo is far larger and more established than it was even a decade ago. | John Gunning

Morrison’s club is home to Etan Perez, one of the members of the United States’ historic bronze-medal-winning team at the 2023 World Championship, and he was heartened to see the women’s game get support from the superstars of professional sumo.

“The major players of ōzumō backing events like this will really help put women’s sumo into the spotlight. I love to see it. It’s hard to put into words because it’s really breathtaking to see in person,” he said.

“I really hope that not only Dallas, but also the United States, can model our women’s sumo after an event like this.”

While there are many positives that can be taken away from the first Dream Girls Cup, the fact the event had to be held in a futsal arena because women are not allowed to even touch a professional sumo ring was a stark reminder that much work remains to be done to ensure equal opportunities for all. (The boys got to compete on the main dohyō at Kokugikan the following day)

Support from figures such as Miyagino will go a long way toward bridging that gap and ensuring future editions of the Dreams Girls Cup more closely resemble what takes place during the Hakuho Cup. In turn, that could allow girls to fully realize their sumo aspirations.

According to the Mongolian-born former yokozuna, the name given to the new meet reflects those sentiments and was a deliberate choice.

“I have cherished the word 'dream' since my active days,” the sumo legend said. “By having lots of dreams and working hard while envisioning them big in your heart, your life will be enriched, and you will be able to become the person you want to be someday. The organizers understood that and decided on the name Dream Girls Cup.”