ISLE FILE
Sumo champ Rowan among inductees

Advertiser Staff

Sumo pacesetter Chad Rowan last night led a five-member class of inductees into the Hawai'i Sports Hall of Fame.

Joining the former grand champion in the shrine were former NFL linebacker Kurt Gouveia, former University of Hawai'i baseball coach Les Murakami, ex-champion surfer Margo Oberg and the late martial arts pioneer Ed Parker.

Ceremonies took place at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Rowan, a Waimanalo native, retired in September after a history-making 13-year career in Japan's national sport during which he became the first foreigner to achieve yokozuna status.

Gouveia helped the teams he played on to championships at Waianae High, Brigham Young and the Washington Redskins. With Gouveia, the Seariders won two O'ahu Prep Bowl titles, BYU won a national championship and the Redskins claimed two Super Bowl titles. Gouveia appeared in 184 games in 13 NFL seasons.

Murakami compiled a 1,079-570-4 record and led the Rainbows to six Western Athletic Conference championships and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in the 1980 College World Series.

Oberg, a Kaua'i resident, was a premier big-wave surfer in the 1970s and '80s when she won five world championships. She was named to Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Women of the Century.

Parker, a Kamehameha Schools graduate, has been referred to as the "father of modern karate" in the United States. He earned a place in the Black Belt Hall of Fame and was its Man of the Year in 1974 and its Instructor of the Year in 1979.