Sumo Championship Prize to Be Doubled to 20 M. Yen

Tokyo, July 30 (Jiji Press)–The Japan Sumo Association said Thursday that it will double the top-division championship prize to 20 million yen and raise wrestlers’ pay and grand tournament ticket prices from January 2027. The winner’s purse in the makuuchi division will rise from 10 million yen, while the prize money for the three special awards recognizing outstanding performance, fighting spirit and technique will increase by 1 million yen to 3 million yen. The revisions will be the first since 1994. Monthly salaries will increase for all salaried wrestlers, including those in the juryo second-highest division, marking the first pay revision since 2019. Top-ranked yokozuna wrestlers are set to receive 3.3 million yen, up 300,000 yen. The changes “should serve as an incentive for wrestlers,” public relations official Fujishima, the former ozeki Musoyama, said. “We hope they will approach sumo with even greater motivation.” Ticket prices for grand tournaments will also rise. In Tokyo, the association will introduce a new SS box-seat category for the first and second rows. The additional revenue will help improve the treatment of wrestlers and rehabilitation and health management services for them while supporting the maintenance of the Ryogoku Kokugikan hall in Tokyo, the association said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]