Azerbaijan, Japan discuss partnership ahead Sumo World Championship

Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Farhad Hajiyev met with Japan's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Katsuya Watanabe, to discuss preparations for the 2026 Sumo World Championship, which is set to take place in Baku, Azernews reports.

The meeting covered topics such as encouraging Japanese sports fans to visit Azerbaijan as part of the "Baku – Sports Capital of the World" initiative, organizing joint training camps, and other areas of cooperation.

The meeting was also attended by Elnur Mammadov, Head of the Sports Department, Zarifa Zulfugarova, Head of the International Relations Department, and Taiichi Tsuchiya, First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy.

Note that the International Sumo Federation selected Azerbaijan to host the event, with backing from the Japan Martial Arts Association, following a bidding process that involved competing countries.

In September, the official flag of the tournament was formally handed over to Azerbaijan. The ceremony took place at Sumo World Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The flag was accepted on behalf of Azerbaijan by the Vice-President of the Japanese Martial Arts and Culture Association in Azerbaijan, Ulvi Aghamirov.

The mascot for the 2026 Sumo World Championship in Baku is Azumo. It was revealed to the public during the championship's presentation and represents both strength and the long-standing tradition of Azerbaijani hospitality.

The unveiling of Azumo and other promotional materials occurred at the Sumo Expo 2025 event in Osaka, Japan.