Heffernan trying to bring sumo back

At one time, 107 countries sent sumo wrestlers to the World Games, which in some ways are a “tryout” for the Olympics for various sports.

That number is down to 60 now.

But Kena Heffernan isn’t giving up on the idea of sumo becoming an Olympic sport someday. For the 2013 World Games, in Cali, Colombia, sumo tickets sold out two hours after they were made available, he said.

“It’s possible, maybe even in 2020,” he said. “We need more exposure. I love when people say it can’t be done. That lights a fire.”

That passion also helps him work toward keeping sumo alive in Hawaii. He’s a local coach and administrator and world class competitor in the sport.

Heffernan, a math teacher and athletic director at Pacific Buddhist Academy from Hauula who now lives in Aina Haina, leaves today for those World Games, in Wroclaw, Poland. He’s the U.S. national champion as a middleweight.

He will also compete in the open weight class. That puts him in the challenging position of staying under 115 kilograms (253 pounds) for middleweight, and also taking on behemoths hundreds of pounds heavier.

Heffernan has beaten world champions before, but never in a tournament that would give him the title.

“I’ve won about 50 international medals, but haven’t brought a big one home,” said Heffernan, prior to a workout Friday at UFC GYM in Kakaako. “I want to open up opportunities not just for myself, but for others.”

Sumo isn’t as popular in Hawaii as it was for decades pre-2000, when local boys Jesse Kuhaulua (Takamiyama), Saleva’a Atisanoe (Konishiki), Chad Rowan (Akebono) and Fiamalu Penitani (Musashimaru) became international stars and champions.

But it never died here, and probably never will because of the sport’s spiritual nature and its deep roots passed on generation to generation.

Heffernan is better known as a state champion wrestler and pole vaulter and a football player at Punahou. He also played football at Yale. But he’s been a sumo competitor since age 11, when his father, Roger, introduced him to the dohyo.

Now his children — son Killian, 10, and daughters Kulia, 7, and Kenzie, 4 — are budding sumotori.

Killian was among a group of six Hawaii youngsters who competed in a tournament in Japan in January.

Kena Heffernan said sumo is much more than just two big guys trying to shove each other out of a circle.

“It’s about learning how to win, learning how to lose. There’s always going to be a winner, and there’s always going to be a loser. But the important thing is that if they lose they get themselves back up,” he said.

Unlike champions from other countries, Heffernan has to pay his own way to competitions. Sometimes he has to convince his wife, Ho’oipo, that it’s worth the expense.

“On the average these matches last four seconds,” he said. “Sometimes the competition is single-elimination. You might have saved all year and paid thousands of dollars to make the trip. So you’d better be ready. If you lose, that can be a tough one to take.”

His participation in overseas events allows him to be an ambassador for Hawaii. It also adds to his appreciation for his home.

“I went up against a guy from Egypt when they were having major problems. Another opponent recently was from the Ukraine,” he said. “One thing where I’m lucky is that when I leave that war in the ring I’m coming home here to my family. I’m not saying it’s perfect. But one thing I love about Hawaii is our community. What have I got to be worried about compared to some of these other people? Rail?

“When we walk away, it’s with friendships that last a lifetime. You accept people for the commonalities. You love them for the differences. At the end, you’ve made a friend.”

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529- 4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.