Tamawashi or MUNKH-ORGIL Batjargal, a highly qualified Mongolian professional sumo wrestler, has entered the Guinness World Records for the record number of 1,763 wrestling matches without a break in his professional sumo career. This was reported by MiddleAsianNews.
On January 26 in Tokyo, he received the Guinness World Records certificate.
Having joined the sumo academy in January 2004, Batjargal has not missed a single match in 21 years and currently ranks fifth in the left side of the maegashira ranking.
Munkh-Orgil Batjargal was born on November 16, 1984, into a family of educators: his father is a drawing teacher, and his mother is a Mongolian language instructor for foreigners.
In his youth, he was interested in various sports, including basketball, volleyball, and table tennis, and also practiced traditional wrestling, bokh.
The path to professional sumo was opened for him by his older brother, who studied at the University of Tokyo. Munkh-Orgil visited Japan several times thanks to invitations from there. Once, he was offered to try his hand at one of the wrestling schools, and they headed to the Ryogoku area, where they accidentally met Izutsu and Kakuryu, who gave them the contact of Kyokushuzan. With his help, Munkh-Orgil ended up in Kataonami-beya.
The young man left his studies at the University of Ulaanbaatar, where he was studying hotel management, and made his professional debut in January 2004.
The coach gave him the name Tamawashi, which translates to "precious ball" and "eagle".
It took four years for Batjargal to rise from the preparatory class of maezumo to the elite division of juryo.
After achieving sekitori status, Munkh-Orgil was granted permission by his oyakata Kataonami to travel home for the first time.
In September 2008, Tamawashi made his debut in the top league — makuuchi.
In January 2017, he was honored with the title of sekiwake for the first time.
In January 2019, at the age of 34, he became the holder of the Emperor's Cup, and in September 2022, at 37, he won his second yusho.
For Batjargal, a role model is Tamakasuga, a former sekiwake who heads the Kataonami school.
Tamawashi's hobby is handicrafts.
Tamawashi's favorite food is tempura, while he does not like eel and sea urchins.
Munkh-Orgil is married to a beautiful Mongolian woman and has two sons.
The athlete's height is 190 cm, and his weight is 170 kg.
