Sumo: Grand champion Kisenosato announces retirement
KYODO NEWS - Jan 16, 2019 - 16:50 | Sports, All
Injury-plagued grand champion Kisenosato confirmed Wednesday his decision to retire from sumo, making the announcement a day after suffering his third loss of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
The 32-year-old, who went into the 15-day tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan with his career in jeopardy, decided to call time on his wrestling career after posting a 0-3 record over the first three days of his 12th meet as a top-ranked yokozuna.
"I, Kisenosato, will retire as of this basho and train junior wrestlers as a toshiyori (sumo elder) under the name Araiso. Thank you for your support while I was active," he said.
"Even though it's very regrettable that I wasn't able to live up to everyone's expectations as a yokozuna, I don't regret one bit of my career on the dohyo," he added.
Asked about his handling of his injuries, Kisenosato said he had often considered whether it was time for a graceful exit but kept going out of a desire to repay fans for their support.
"I'm very sorry it turned out this way," he said.
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On Wednesday morning, his stablemaster Tagonoura told the media that Kisenosato had decided to retire after the two had a discussion the previous night.
"Kisenosato and I spoke for 30 to 40 minutes last night and he said, 'Please, let me retire, I am retiring.' Outwardly, he looked composed like he always does, even though I'm sure a lot was going through his mind," Tagonoura said. "His two years (as yokozuna) went like a flash. I thanked him for his hard work over the years, I could not find any other words."
(Stablemaster Tagonoura speaks to the media)
Despite saying he was "close to his ideal shape" before the tournament, Kisenosato lost to komusubi Mitakeumi on opening day. He was handed his second and third upsets by top-ranked maegashira Ichinojo and Tochiozan.
The retirement of Kisenosato, a fan favorite and a big draw, leaves two wrestlers at the top of the banzuke -- Mongolians Hakuho and Kakuryu.
Not counting his forfeit on Day 5 of November's Kyushu meet, Kisenosato has posted eight straight losses since September, the worst run for a yokozuna since the 15-day grand tournament format began in the summer of 1949.
In March 2017, Kisenosato became the first Japanese-born wrestler in 19 years to gain promotion to yokozuna. He won his second straight championship on his yokozuna debut at the following tournament.
Nagging injuries to his knee, ankle, chest and arm, however, forced him to withdraw from a yokozuna-record eight straight grand tournaments between May 2017 and July 2018, raising questions over his ability to continue his career as a grand champion.
The Tagonoura-stable wrestler finished with a 10-5 record on his comeback at the September tournament to temporarily fend off calls for his retirement, but he lost four straight bouts to open November's Kyushu meet, the most by a yokozuna in 87 years.
The result in November prompted the Japan Sumo Association's yokozuna council to express dissatisfaction with his performance and revived commentary that he would be forced to call time on his career depending on his performance in Tokyo.
Although Kisenosato was unable to meet comeback expectations at the ongoing meet, sumo elder Nishiiwa, a former coach at the Tagonoura stable, gave credit to the wrestler for entertaining the fans with his own drama in the sumo ring.
"At the end, people saw him as a weak wrestler but he did enough," Nishiiwa said.
"It was impressive the way he chased that one win. Unarguably strong yokozuna are okay, too, but I like yokozuna like Kisenosato who look and act desperate on the dohyo," he said.
Kisenosato made his professional sumo debut in March 2002 at the age of 15 and joined the top makuuchi division in 2004.
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You are here: Newsletters > 2006 > November > 8 > The Luxurious, Historic Hungarian Bathhouses: Unusual & Interesting Travel Destinations #6
The Luxurious, Historic Hungarian Bathhouses:
Unusual & Interesting Travel Destinations #6
Hungary is fast becoming one of the world's premier spa destinations, but it has actually been popular since ancient times. The Celts and then the Romans discovered this "land of abundant waters," and they took advantage of the vast thermal springs and waters for under-floor heating and regular bathing at some of the first bathhouses.
The mineral-rich water of Lake Héviz is 85-90 degrees F, year-round.
Later, during the 150-year Turkish occupation of Hungary, more elaborate bathhouses were constructed, some of which are still standing today.
The Land of Healing Waters
Hungary is located in the Carpathian basin, in an area where the Earth's crust is thin and thermal springs are abundant (and can easily flow to the surface). The waters are rich in natural minerals and are known for having therapeutic, healing properties, particularly for rheumatic, inflammatory and muscular ailments.
"Underneath some 80 percent of Hungarian territory you can find some kind of medicinal waters," says Bela Pal, a state secretary for the tourism office of the Prime Minister's office.
The Hungarian National Tourism Office jokes that all you have to do is poke a stick in the ground anywhere in Hungary and up will come thermal water. The country is home to:
1,289 thermal springs
39 medicinal baths
Five medicinal caves
48 certified mineral or medicinal water springs
Enough spa facilities to accommodate 300,000 people at the same time
Spas and baths in Hungary are diverse. Some are historic Turkish baths with elaborate domed ceilings; others are simple bathhouses frequented by locals, while still others are part of newly constructed luxurious hotels and resorts, or outdoor lakes and springs.
Some of the Most Popular Spas and Bathhouses in Hungary
The Gellert Hotel in Budapest holds one of the most historic and most elaborate bathhouses in Hungary.
No matter what type of bathhouse experience you are looking for, chances are you can find it in Hungary at one of these popular spa destinations (most of which are very affordable compared to U.S. spa prices):
Lake Héviz: Located about three hours outside of Budapest, Lake Héviz is the largest thermal lake in Europe and the second-largest in the world. It boasts 85-90 degree F, mineral-rich water year-round. Fed by hot and cold mineral springs from a cave below the surface, the water is mildly radioactive and said to ease rheumatism and help with relaxation. The waters of Lake Héviz are said to be so powerful that it's recommended you only soak for 20 minutes at a time.
The historic baths of the Gellert Hotel: Located in Budapest, the Gellert Hotel has one of the most well-known and elaborate bathhouses in the area. It's known for its art-nouveau design, complete with spiral marble columns, lion statues that spout water and an ornate steel and glass-domed ceiling. There is an outdoor sunbathing area and wave pool, along with a thermal pool that is filled with jets. Steam baths, massages and other spa treatments are also available.
Szechenyi Furdo: Also in Budapest, Szechenyi Furdo is a large public spa that is popular with the locals. Housed in a neo-baroque structure, the spa has an indoor thermal pool, steam baths, several outdoor pools (one more quiet, others with jets and waterfalls) and massage services.
To Plan a Trip ...
Interested in planning a trip to Hungary's thermal waters? Check out these informative links:
GotoHungary.com
Budapest Tourist Guide
Guardian Unlimited Travel
Globeandmail.com
Expatica.com


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New York takes safety measures spurred by killings of officers in cars
By William Hennelly | China Daily USA | Updated: 2017-02-09 12:09
Detective Wenjian Liu's father, mother and widow (holding bouquets, left), New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (center), Police Commissioner William Bratton and Detective Rafael Ramos' relatives visit the site in Brooklyn, New York, where the two officers were ambushed and slain on Dec 20, 2014. Hezi Jiang / China Daily
NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos died in an ambush in 2014. The tragedy of their deaths, though, has led to a move that will help protect other officers from a similar fate.
The city has set aside more than $10 million for bullet-resistant glass and doors on patrol vehicles in its draft $84.7 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
On Jan 31, the NYPD demonstrated the glass and doors that will be installed on more than 3,800 patrol vehicles. The doors will be installed by the end of the year; the windows by the first half of next year, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
"You saw that material, very high-tech material, that absorbs the bullet and literally takes the bullet's trajectory and uses it against it to stop it dead in its tracks," de Blasio said inside an NYPD training classroom.
Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the need to protect officers in vehicles from gunfire was motivated by the 2014 shooting deaths of Liu, 32, and Ramos, 40 - who were ambushed by a gunman as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn - and the killing the following year of Brian Moore, 25, fatally shot in his unmarked squad car by a suspect in Queens.
The deaths of Liu and Ramos just before Christmas in 2014 stunned the city and came at a time of polarization between police and members of African-American communities across the US, with several incidents of black men dying in confrontations with police, including one in New York. Eric Garner died when he was wrestled to the ground on Staten Island.
Liu and Ramos' killer, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, claimed on social media that he was targeting police to avenge the deaths of Garner and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in the summer of 2014.
Liu, a native of South China's Guangdong province, came to the United States at age 12 with his parents. He decided to be a police officer after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, and joined the NYPD in 2007.
In June 2015, de Blasio and then-police commissioner William Bratton attended the unveiling ceremony for "Detective Wenjian Liu Way" in Gravesend, Brooklyn. Also in attendance were the officer's parents and widow, Peixia Chen, along with survivors of Detective Ramos and dozens of police officers. Both Liu and Ramos were posthumously promoted to detective.
Their funerals drew more than 20,000 police officers from around the country.
Liu lived in the neighborhood with his wife, Peixia Chen, and also had bought a home nearby for his parents, mother Xiuyan Li and father Weitang Liu.
"Our law enforcement officers sacrifice their lives day in and day out, in serving and protecting this great city. This city is our home," Chen said at the ceremony.
The news about the bullet-resistant glass and doors came on Jan 31 when the mayor and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA) President Patrick Lynch announced a tentative contract agreement covering 23,810 NYPD employees.
"This agreement provides the compensation and benefits the world's finest police department deserves, while outfitting the entire force with body cameras and delivering the transparency and policing reforms at the center of effective and trusted law enforcement," de Blasio said.
As part of the deal, the PBA agreed to drop body camera litigation against the city, and the NYPD can expand the use of body cameras to the entire workforce - a step forward for police accountability and transparency.
All patrol officers will be outfitted with cameras by the end of 2019.
Contact the writer at williamhennelly@chinadailyusa.com.
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Home » News & Events » Wages Chooses OConnor to Support Necessary Roughness
Wages Chooses OConnor to Support Necessary Roughness
Posted November 30, 2012 .
Burbank, CA, November 30, 2012 – Bill Wages, ASC is glad to be shooting USA'sNecessary Roughness on location in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia instead of commuting to far locations. When the ASC Television Career Achievement Award winner packed for the move back to Atlanta, he made sure that his most vital tools would be on hand for his new series. High on the list was the OConnor 2575 and "a really old but extremely reliable OConnor 100," he adds. "I won't do a show without OConnor."
Necessary Roughness is a series about a female psychologist whose main practice is the fictional NFL team, the New York Hawks. "Atlanta for New York," Wages laughs. "You gotta love Hollywood's creativity! Actually, we really do get a lot of mileage out of the various local locations. Since she treats other sports and show business patients, we end up with a wide variety of subjects – and an even wider variety of challenges. We average 50 to 60 setups per day. One day I'll be shooting a football game, and the next a rock-and-roll concert. Because of the amount and range of set ups, my support is crucial. There is no room for error. That's why I chose OConnor's 2575 – and no gear heads."
Wages says he has never seen a shot that he can't do with the 2575. "But I've seen a lot of shots that a gear head couldn't do. Sure, there's a place for both but with a large package like ours (four ALEXAs), I have no room for excess, so the OConnor 2575 fluid heads were it."
While shooting football scenes, Wages goes for documentary-style shooting that is rather free form. And the OConnor shines. "It's very intuitive. No restrictions, even when we point almost 90-degrees up and down. My A-camera operator, Steve Andrich, shoots for the NFL so he knows how to follow a passed football with a 500mm lens and fill the frame. He never loses it with the OConnor. Try it with a gear head. Not possible."
Wages really puts OConnor into challenging positions. To get a very low angle, he will hang the head and camera upside down on the dolly to get right to the ground. "Comes in handy when tracking player's feet as they run," he says. "I know, the OConnor isn't designed for this but it gets the shot." And in post, the image is inverted with a push of a button.
Sometimes he brings in his OConnor 100, "once owned by Fouad Said (his name is engraved on it). It was used on the original I Spy," he laughs. "This thing is so strong that when I've used it on other projects, Joe Dunton has built a side-sling rig for me to allow the camera to sit beside the head, just above the ground for an extremely low angle. I've put a Panaflex with an 11-to-1 and 1000 foot magazine on it with no problem. This is a tremendous amount of torque – on a 50-year-old piece of equipment. You simply can't hurt it!"
Necessary Roughness, starring Golden Globe nominee Callie Thorne, will begin airing new episodes on USA in the coming months. Bill Wages, ASC is a two-time winner of the ASC Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography award for Buffalo Soldiers and Riders of the Purple Sage. He has also been nominated for six other ASC Awards and two Emmy Awards.
OConnor, is part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company. For further information on OConnor Accessories, or other OConnor products, visit www.www.ocon.com, emailinfo(at)www.ocon.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter; or contact OConnor, 2701 N. Ontario St, Burbank, CA 91504, Phone: 818-847-8666, Fax: 818-847-1205.
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