Baku, the World Capital of Sport for 2026, has already hosted numerous international sporting events this year. On October 17–18, the Azerbaijani capital will welcome one of the most unusual sports for local spectators, as the World Sumo Championships take place in the country for the first time.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the competition at the Baku Sports Palace will offer fans an opportunity to discover the traditions of ancient Japanese wrestling while supporting Azerbaijani athletes who have already achieved success at European and world level.
Unlike the professional sumo tournaments traditionally held in Japan, the championships in Baku will follow international amateur sumo rules.
Professional Japanese sumo, known as ozumo, operates through a ranking system with divisions and titles. Six major tournaments are held annually, each lasting 15 days, and there are no weight categories. Women are also excluded from professional competition.
International amateur sumo, however, features separate weight divisions for men and women, with athletes representing their national teams in individual and team events. Competitors also wear additional clothing beneath the traditional mawashi belt, although the sport's fundamental rules and ceremonial traditions remain intact.
Athletes from approximately 30 countries are expected to participate in Baku, with medals contested in senior and U18 categories for both male and female competitors.
Some international delegations have already experienced difficulties reaching Azerbaijan. According to Bulgarian media, the country's sumo team faced a major travel disruption after severe storms in Istanbul forced the cancellation of their flight to Baku.
The Bulgarian athletes were forced to spend the night in Turkey before arriving in Azerbaijan at around 4 a.m. the following day. They reportedly traveled directly from the airport to the official weigh-in.
Despite the difficulties, Bulgaria will bring several accomplished competitors. Anna Metodieva, competing in the women's 73 kg category, is a European champion and world silver medalist. Presiyan Mihov (85 kg) won the European title in 2026 and previously claimed bronze at the European Games, while Ivan Blagoev (100 kg) earned bronze at the 2025 World Championships in Bangkok.
Another Bulgarian representative, Simeon Stankovic (115 kg), lost to Azerbaijan's Javid Yusifov at the 2026 European Championships. Yusifov went on to win gold, and the two could potentially meet again on the dohyo, the traditional sumo wrestling ring, in Baku.
Azerbaijan also has strong reasons to hope for medals on home soil.
Azerbaijani sumo wrestlers made their international debut in 2007. Six years later, Namig Sadigov and Amiraslan Ahmadov won individual gold medals at the European Championships in Warsaw, also contributing to the team's success.
Another major achievement came in 2023, when Azerbaijan topped the team standings at the European Cup in Vinni, Estonia, collecting three gold and three silver medals to finish ahead of Poland and Ukraine.
Jamal Feyziyev was particularly impressive, winning both the over-115 kg division and the openweight category. He has also enjoyed success in beach wrestling, claiming gold at the Baku stage of this year's Beach Wrestling World Series.
Royal Aghamaliyev secured another European Cup gold in the 85 kg category in 2023 before winning silver at the World Championships in Tokyo later that year. He defeated opponents from Tajikistan, Hungary and Mongolia on his way to the final, where he lost to multiple world and European champion Sviatoslav Semikras of Ukraine.
More recently, Azerbaijani wrestlers delivered another strong performance at the European Championships in Stirling, Scotland. Javid Yusifov became continental champion in the 115 kg category, while Amrah Shafiyev collected two bronze medals in the 85 kg and openweight divisions. Azerbaijan also finished third in the team competition.
Chingiz Samadov, a medalist at both world and European championships, is another notable figure in Azerbaijani sumo.
Beyond the sporting competition, one of the biggest attractions of the Baku championships will be the presence of legendary former professional sumo wrestler Hakuho Sho.
The Mongolian-born Japanese sumo icon achieved the prestigious rank of yokozuna, the highest title in professional sumo, and established numerous records recognized by Guinness World Records.
Hakuho is expected to be the most prominent guest at the championships. This will not be his first visit to Azerbaijan, as he traveled to Baku last year, when he received information about the upcoming tournament and was introduced to its official mascot, Azumo.
The two-day event promises to combine centuries-old Japanese sporting traditions with modern international competition, while giving Azerbaijani sumo wrestlers a valuable opportunity to compete for world championship medals in front of their home supporters.
