Sports Village plans Japanese sumo wrestling exhibition in Hyderabad

Sports Village, Hyderabad, has proposed a Japan–India Sports Exchange Programme to offer Indian athletes scholarships, international training and coaching opportunities. The initiative also envisages introducing sumo wrestling in Hyderabad and strengthening sporting and cultural cooperation between both countries

Hyderabad: Sports Village, Hyderabad, has initiated a proposed Japan–India Sports Exchange Programme aimed at creating new opportunities for Indian athletes through sports scholarships, international training, coaching exchanges and collaborations with Japanese sporting institutions.

Sports Village CEO and multisport promoter Mohammad Shamsuddin recently held a meeting at Sports Village here with Mr Anil Raj, a hotelier associated with the Y.K. Raj Group in Tokyo, Japan, and Mr P Ajay Kumar, Japanese language exchange programme coordinator, to discuss the initiative.

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Anil Raj expressed his support for the Sports Village initiative and its vision of strengthening sporting and cultural relations between India and Japan.

A major highlight of the proposal is the introduction of traditional Japanese sumo wrestling in Hyderabad through an international exhibition featuring Japanese wrestlers and technical experts. The programme will also explore judo training, Japanese coaching camps and athlete exchange opportunities.

Shamsuddin plans to visit Tokyo in late November 2026 and is seeking a meeting with H.E. Mr Seki Yoshihiro, Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, on November 30. He also hopes to meet Mr Junichi Kawai, Commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency, and representatives of the Japan Sport Council.

The initiative aims to establish Hyderabad as a platform for expanding Japan–India sporting cooperation, with future exhibitions planned in major Indian cities.