ISLE FILE
Hawai'i yokozuna ready to return
Advertiser Staff and News Services
Sumo grand champion (yokozuna) Musashimaru (Wai'anae's Fiamalu Penitani) said yesterday he is looking forward to returning to competition in next month's tournament after sitting out the last four because of injuries.
Sporting a scar from surgery to his wrist, the 32-year-old giant said he feels confident he is ready to compete in the 15-day tournament, which starts in Nagoya on July 6.
"I'm looking forward to it, just the same as always," he told reporters.
Musashimaru, who tips the scales at 520 pounds, is one of the most successful foreign-born wrestlers ever in sumo. He has won 12 tournaments.
In professional sumo, six tournaments are held each year, one every other month.
BROADCAST BOOTH
Vaioleti will work for K5: Doug Vaioleti, a former University of Hawai'i offensive lineman who started on the 1992 Western Athletic Conference championship team, has been named color analyst for K5's telecasts of Warrior football games this coming season, station officials confirmed today.
Vaioleti, 32, a union carpenter with Sunrise Construction, met with K5 officials last week and is scheduled to meet with them this week, at which time "all of the details will be finalized," said John Fink, the station's president and general manager.
Vaioleti replaces Dick Tomey, a former UH and Arizona head coach who served as K5's color analyst the past two seasons. Tomey is now an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers.
"It's an opportunity I never thought would come my way. It was handed to me," Vaioleti said. "I'll do the best job I can do."
K5 play-by-play announcer Jim Leahey said Vaioleti was his first choice.
"He is one of the brightest young people whom I know," Leahey said.
K5, which owns the television rights to UH sports, will televise nine of the Warriors' 13 regular-season games this year.
SURFING
Sterling finishes sixth: Jamie Sterling of O'ahu's North Shore placed sixth in the Red Bull Big Wave Africa surfing contest yesterday.
The one-day event was completed in waves of 15 to 20 feet at Hout Bay, South Africa. Only 12 big-wave surfers from around the world were invited to compete.
Greg Long of California won the event.
GOLF
Toyama leads qualifier: Travis Toyama of Kane'ohe shot a 5-under-par 67 yesterday and leads by two strokes at the USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier at the Po'ipu Bay Resort golf course on Kaua'i.
Skip Murphy (69) is second, and Kurt Nino (71) third.
The qualifier concludes today.
VOLLEYBALL
Hawai'i team third: The Hawai'i All-Stars 18-and-under club volleyball team finished tied for third place out of 71 teams at the Long Beach Boys Classic national tournament Sunday night.
Hawai'i defeated Balboa Bay (Calif.) 25-23, 25-23 in the quarterfinals before losing to No. 2 seed Central California 14-25, 25-21, 15-11 in the semifinals.
Hawai'i went 10-1 in the tournament.
