Grassroots Cultural Grant Aid for the Bulgarian Sumo Federation (Presentation of Donation List by Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Ozeki Koto-oshu)

February 8, 2006

The Government of Japan has decided to give a grassroots cultural grant aid of about 59,000 dollars (about 6.3 million yen) in total to the Bulgarian Sumo Federation, to supply Sumo equipment (dohyo rings, mawashi belts, tatami mats, video cameras, etc.).

Mr. Koichiro Fukui, Japanese Ambassador to Bulgaria, and Ms. Liliana Kaneva, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation, conducted a ceremony of signing the donation agreement on January 26 (Thu), and on February 8 (Wed), Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, ceremonially presented the donation list to Ozeki Koto-oshu, an honorary member of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation. .
The Bulgarian Sumo Federation was established in 1995 to introduce and spread Sumo in Bulgaria and has now 27 branches with a total of 512 members. So far, Sumo tournaments have been held 11 times in Bulgaria. In the European and World Sumo Championships, Bulgaria has produced champions and prizewinners including Ozeki Koto-oshu. Through the work of the Federation, Sumo was accepted as a subject in the Bulgarian National Sports Academy in 1997, and about 30 students are in training now.
This assistance is to further spread Sumo in Bulgaria by donating Sumo equipment to the Federation, which now practices with home-made dohyo consisting of sponge on plastic mats with the circle marked with a rope. Japan hopes this aid facilitates Bulgarian people to increase understanding of Japanese culture.

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