By Diana McCurdy
Five months ago, Mangere College year-12 students Tuku Saena, aged 16, and Teariki Ngutu, also 16, knew little about sumo wrestling beyond the usual stereotype of big men in nappies.
Now, Tuku ranks second in the world in the junior lightweight division and Teariki is eighth in the junior
open-weight division.
The pair's meteoric rise to success began when New Zealand Sumo Federation member Sonny Parsons had a recruitment drive at Auckland schools in March.
Parsons' pitch of "who wants to go to Japan for free?" was all the incentive that Tuku, Teariki and five other Mangere College students needed. With just six weeks' training, they won at the New Zealand junior nationals in May.
They went on to win several gold and silver medals at the Oceania junior championships in June.
Their victories earned four of them a ticket to the inaugural world junior championships in Tokyo last month, where Tuku won a silver medal and Teariki came eighth in his division.
Teariki said he and Tuku were over the moon about their success.
"It was an awesome feeling making the New Zealand team. It's kind of like we're fighting for the country now," he said.
Mangere College principal Ron Pedder said he was impressed by the pair's performance.
"Young people in this community often under-sell themselves and are put down by people from outside the area, but South Auckland just has so much talent."
Parsons attributed their success to their "big hearts" and natural sporting ability.
He said sumo was a little-known sport in New Zealand, but there were more than 100 registered competitors throughout the country.
