President Trump on Sunday will award a 60-pound trophy to the next sumo champion in Tokyo, Japan.
He will be the first U.S. president to present a trophy to the winner of the summer wrestling tournament while on his visit to the country. However, there has been some question over what the trophy will look like and whether it will have Trump’s name on it.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson would only say that it will be a “president’s cup” and a senior White House confirmed to reporters that the cup is 54 inches tall and weighs 60-70 pounds.
Trump is the guest of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, who made special accommodations for Trump to attend the championship.
The New York Times reported that some in Japan were upset that a Japanese traditional sport was being turned into a political spectacle. Ticket holders were removed from their seats so that Trump could attend the iconic Japanese event. Trump will wear a pair of slippers when entering the ring to present the trophy, as shoes are not permitted to be worn in the ring.
But others see the event as befitting Trump, who likes to promote a muscular U.S. policy and had been part of American pro wrestling shows for decades.
Trump’s attendance at the sumo wrestling tournament comes as the sport is in transition. Many of the new wrestlers are immigrants. The sport has also faced growing scandals over bullying and intimidation.
