Nicholas Tarasenko, a 15-year-old from Hull, UK, has become only the second Briton ever to join a professional sumo stable in Japan. After impressing the Minato stable with his amateur tournament wins and commitment to learning Japanese, Tarasenko has arrived in Japan to begin his trial period. His father, Georgi Zilkin, expressed confidence in his son's ability to thrive in the regimented sumo life, with the goal of reaching yokozuna grand champion status.
Teenager from Hull becomes second Briton ever to join a professional sumo stable
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Nicholas Tarasenko, a 15-year-old from Hull, UK, has become only the second Briton ever to join a professional sumo stable in Japan. After impressing the Minato stable with his amateur tournament wins and commitment to learning Japanese, Tarasenko has arrived in Japan to begin his trial period. His father, Georgi Zilkin, expressed confidence in his son's ability to thrive in the regimented sumo life, with the goal of reaching yokozuna grand champion status.
Trending- 1 1989: Nathan Strange became the first Briton to join a professional sumo stable.
- 2 2002: Sumo's 45 stables limited to one foreign wrestler each.
- 3 2023: Nicholas Tarasenko won under-18 gold in Estonia.
- 4 Last year (2024): Tarasenko trained at Minato stable.
- 5 Recently (June 2025): Tarasenko arrived in Japan after finishing GCSEs.
- 6 March next year (2026): Potential professional debut at spring basho in Osaka.
- Nicholas Tarasenko begins professional sumo career
- potential for him to become a grand champion
- he will adjust to a new lifestyle and culture
- increased diversity in professional sumo
What: Nicholas Tarasenko, 15, from Hull, joined a professional sumo stable in Japan; he is the second Briton to do so (first since Nathan Strange in 1989); he won amateur tournaments and learned Japanese; he will undergo a trial period at Minato stable near Tokyo; he aims to become a yokozuna grand champion; he will perform duties, live with wrestlers, and study Japanese; he will eat chanko nabe to gain weight.
When: Recently (arrived in Japan); straight after finishing GCSEs; 1989 (Nathan Strange joined); last year (Tarasenko trained at stable); 2023 (won under-18 gold in Estonia); March next year (potential professional debut at spring basho).
Where: Hull (UK); Japan; Minato stable (near Tokyo, Saitama prefecture); Estonia (father's country of birth, where he won tournament); Osaka (spring basho location).
Why: Tarasenko wants to pursue his dream of becoming a grand champion sumo wrestler; he impressed the stable with his ability and commitment; sumo stables are limited to one foreign wrestler each.
How: Tarasenko won amateur tournaments, learned Japanese, and impressed the stable during a previous training visit; he was accepted as a trainee; he will live and train at the stable, perform duties, and study.