It's a scene you would expect to see in Tokyo.

But the sound of bare feet padding, and bodies thudding on the mat of a sports hall in Belfast signals an unlikely first - the ancient Japanese tradition of sumo wrestling has landed in Northern Ireland.

Sumo Na hÉireann is thought to be the first sumo wrestling club on the island of Ireland and its members are keen to make their mark.

Among them is Toraigh Mallon, who believes she is Ireland's first female sumo wrestler.

She says sumo is "definitely on the up," with "new members coming along every week".

'Grudge match'

Sumo Na hÉireann club founder Johnny Templeton said the growing interest comes hot on the heels of the professional Grand Sumo Tournament in London's Royal Albert Hall in October.

Unlike professional sumo in Japan, where women are not allowed to compete, amateur sumo does have female competitions.

Ms Mallon is determined to break through to the top, and is training hard in preparation for the inaugural British Isles Sumo Wrestling Championship at Ulster University in January, where she expects a "grudge match" against her Norwegian counterpart.

She was drawn into the world of sumo by an advert on Instagram and has not looked back since.

"I would do anything to get out of the house, because I don't like sitting in, I like being active."

For Toraigh, it's training every night of the week, be that in the gym, boxing and in the dohyō (sumo ring) in preparation for her match in January.

She said she sees sumo wrestling taking off in Ireland.

"There's new people here every night, there's a new club in Dublin, it's on the up definitely," she added.

In the amateur games, size and weight doesn't matter just as much as it does in the professional world.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Mr Templeton said: "In amateur competitions, which we compete in, there is weight classes, so you'll never have to fight someone outside of your weight class, unless you want to."

"The professionals you see on TV, there's no weight classes so they can get as big as they like," he said.

Mr Templeton said Sumo Na hÉireann came to be after he competed for Team GB in the world championships and in amateur competitions across the UK.

He got into sumo after competing in other types of martial arts and wrestling for most of his life and after having sumo success in the UK, that's when he decided to carry sumo over to Ireland.

Sumo Na hÉireann is just over a year old, and expanded to Dublin last month.

Parallels with traditional Irish wrestling

Mr Templeton believes sumo wrestling has found a home here in Ireland, and thinks sumo has some interesting similarities to an old Irish form of wrestling.

"The way sumo is the native, indigenous traditional wrestling of Japan, Ireland does have that as well, it's just that it's practice has been lost over the years."

Traditional Irish wrestling is called collar-and-elbow wrestling.

"It is focused mostly on foot sweeps, and is a type of jacketed wrestling but the goal is very much the same as it is in sumo.

"The parallels are amazing," he added.

Rising sumo star Matt Wilson has been competing in the UK and has his eye on the world championships next year.

Sumo is his passion, and he said aside from the weekly bouts, he trains hard in the gym and keeps an eye on his diet.

"I used to eat loads to get my weight up so I could wrestle some of the heavier guys," he said.

Now he keeps a "maintenance weight" so he is able to fight faster and still stay heavy.

Mr Wilson said he "can definitely see sumo exploding" in the UK and Ireland especially after the Grand Sumo Tournament in London.

What is sumo?

From leg stomps to drive away evil spirits, to throwing salt to purify the ring (or dohyō), and burying food as an offering, sumo wrestling is steeped in traditions and sumo wrestlers (or Rikishi), live highly-regimented lives.

Most sumo wrestlers in Japan are required to live in communal sumo training stables, where every aspect of their daily lives - from diet to dress code - are dictated by traditions.

Yet while the ancient Japanese customs are acknowledged and respected at Sumo Na hÉireann, the focus is on the wrestling, and everyone is welcome.

The basic principle of sumo is that a match is decided by a fighter either being forced out of the circular dohyō (ring), or touching the ground inside the ring with any part of the body other than the soles of the feet.

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A football team is working with a college to offer young women a pathway into the sport.

Middlesbrough has paired with Middlesbrough College to invite up to 20 players to study full-time in Year 12, with a route into professional football.

The Middlesbrough College MFC Women's U19 team will be entered into the National Youth Football League for the 2026/2027 season.

The college's sport academy director and England Women's Blind Team coach Sammie Leigh said the course would give "girls on Teesside the chance to progress their football while building skills, discipline and confidence".

A spokeswoman for Middlesbrough College said the scheme would "combine academic or vocational study with elite-level training".

The college's women's football academy coach, Dan Wilson, said the scheme would ensure young women on Teesside could "succeed both on the pitch and in the classroom".

Mr Wilson said the scheme - which will be led by UEFA-licensed coaches - would give players "a professional environment to develop their skills and fitness, while also supporting their academic progress".

General manager of Middlesbrough FC Women, Ben Fisher, said the club's aim was to "retain and develop local talent to strengthen women's football across the region".

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Ms Leigh, who helped to forge the programme, said: "Having worked in women's football for nearly two decades, I've seen first-hand how vital structured pathways and high-quality coaching are for young talent."

She added that those who were interested could apply through the college, with trials and friendly games held in January.

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Former pro-basketball player Jason Collins, the first openly-homosexual male athlete in a major American professional sport, has announced that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Collins was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, he wrote in an article for sport broadcaster ESPN on Thursday, and is currently undergoing treatment to stop the spread of his inoperable disease.

The brain tumour, he says, is like "a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball".

Without treatment, he would be dead within three months, doctors told Collins.

Collins, who played for 13 seasons in the NBA, wrote that the challenges of treatment were somewhat similar to those he faced on the court.

"As an athlete you learn not to panic in moments like this," he said, comparing treatment to going up against basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, or his decision to come out as gay.

"To me it's like, 'Shut up and go play against Shaq.' You want the challenge? This is the challenge," he wrote.

"And there is no bigger challenge in basketball than going up against prime Shaquille O'Neal, and I've done that."

Collins family had released a short statement in September saying that he had a brain tumour, but in his article he says "it's time for people to hear from me directly".

The 47-year-old sports veteran writes that the cancer was discovered after he was struggling to focus.

He describes how shortly after marrying his husband in May, he missed a flight because he was unable to pack his luggage.

A brain scan later revealed the source of his issues with focus and memory.

"My mental clarity, short-term memory and comprehension disappeared - turning into an NBA player's version of 'Dory' from 'Finding Nemo'," he jokes about the forgetful fish from the Disney film.

Revealing his diagnosis to the world reminds him of his decision to come out, he says. The years since coming out "have been the best of my life".

"Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private. This is me. This is what I'm dealing with."

Collins is currently being treated with a drug called Avastin to slow the tumour's growth, and has been travelling to Singapore for a targeted form of chemotherapy.

He writes that he hopes that his treatment will help develop better methods to fight the disease, and that he can lead the way similar to how he did as the NBA's first openly-gay player.

"After I came out, someone I really respect told me that my choice to live openly could help someone who I might never meet," he says.

"I've held onto that for years. And if I can do that again now, then that matters."

The California native played for six teams in his 13 seasons in the NBA. He had previously been featured on Time Magazine's 100 most influential people list. He retired in 2014.

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