Ambassador Presented a trophy at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament 2023

23/07/2023

On 23 July 2023, H.E. Mr. Singtong Lapisatepun, Ambassador of Thailand to Japan, attended the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament 2023 at Dolphin Arena, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium to present the Thailand-Japan Friendship Trophy to Mr. Sekiwake Hoshoryu, the champion who won the highest division of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

The presentation of the Thailand-Japan Friendship Trophy to the Champion of Grand Sumo Tournaments held in Tokyo started in 2017 when Thailand and Japan celebrated their 130th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations. In 2022, a new trophy in the form of Thai elephant was introduced to commemorate the 135th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations.

The Thai Elephant Trophy was produced by the Chiang Rai Elephant Foundation. It was made of fiberglass and painted by local Thai artists depicting Japanese and Thai elements. One side of the trophy shows the picture of Ramayana’s ape army fighting scenes resembling a sumo fight, under Rachaphruek flowers, the national flower of Thailand. On the other side of the trophy presented an image of two Japanese sumo wrestlers grappling under a Sakura tree, symbolizing Japan.

In 2023, the Thailand-Japan Friendship Trophy is awarded to the Sumo Champion of 6 tournaments held in 4 prefectures across Japan, i.e. Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi and Fukuoka. Besides Thailand, ambassadors and representatives from other 10 countries also presented certificates and trophies to the Champion, namely, the United Arab Emirates, Mongolia, Bulgaria, France, Israel, The United States of America, China, the Czech Republic, Mexico and Hungary.