Meeting was held at the Embassy between Ambassador Farid Talibov and Yokozuna Hakuho-Sho, the Japanese Sumo Champion after whom the “Hakuho Cup 2026” Sumo Championship held in Japan is named and who also serves as the organizer of the tournament

On 13 February 2026, a meeting was held at the Embassy between Ambassador Farid Talibov and Yokozuna Hakuho-Sho, the Japanese Sumo Champion after whom the “Hakuho Cup 2026” Sumo Championship held in Japan is named and who also serves as the organizer of the tournament.

During the meeting, the Ambassador spoke about the steadily developing relations between Azerbaijan and Japan in various fields, including sports, and noted that Japanese martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, jujutsu, and others are widely practiced and well received in Azerbaijan. F. Talibov emphasized that interest in the Japanese sport of sumo has also increased in recent years and described as a major achievement Azerbaijan’s first-ever participation in international sumo tournaments held in Japan. In this context, he highlighted the participation of 14-year-old Huseyn Aghayev, a student of the Azerbaijani school of sumo, in the 16th “Hakuho Cup 2026” Championship, held in Tokyo on 7–8 February 2026, where the athlete defeated his Japanese and Brazilian opponents in the first three bouts. The Ambassador also requested the support of the Japanese side in considering opportunities for Azerbaijani sumo athletes to be enrolled in Japanese sumo schools.

The Japanese guest expressed his gratitude for the invitation and stated that he was pleased with the participation of an Azerbaijani athlete in the tournament bearing his name. He agreed that winning the first three matches by a representative of a country participating in the tournament for the first time was a significant achievement for Azerbaijan. Hakuho noted that the development of sumo in Azerbaijan appears promising and expressed his readiness to provide possible support in this field.

F. Talibov further informed that the World Sumo Championship will be held in Baku in October 2026, and highly appreciated the potential participation of Hakuho in this prestigious tournament.

At the same time, the Ambassador invited Yokozuna Hakuho to attend the “SportAccord” World Sport and Business Summit, scheduled to take place in Baku on 24–28 May 2026, noting that his participation would further enhance the international stature of the event.