Ukrainian refugee and sumo star eyes top title in Japan

Aonishiki Arata, who fled the Ukraine war in 2022, has won 2 Japanese grand tournament titles back-to-back.

Published: 8:58pm, 4 Feb 2026

Ukrainian sumo star Aonishiki Arata is eyeing the grand title of yokozuna after winning his second-straight Japanese championship on January 25, 2026. The wrestler fled Ukraine for Japan in 2022, narrowly avoiding the military draft. He has since risen rapidly through the ranks in sumo wrestling, adopting the name Aonishiki, which means “blue brocade” in honour of Ukraine.

Ukrainian refugee and sumo star eyes top title in Japan

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Aonishiki Arata, who fled the Ukraine war in 2022, has won 2 Japanese grand tournament titles back-to-back.

Aonishiki Arata, who fled the Ukraine war in 2022, has won 2 Japanese grand tournament titles back-to-back.