June 21, 2006

Distributor Universal Trucks Israel Ltd.(UTI) made history by co-sponsoring the first-ever visit to Israel by a group of sumo wrestlers from Japan.
Israel's embassy in Japan organized the six-day visit as a cultural exchange program, aiming to promote tourism to Israel through Japanese media coverage. The group comprised more than one dozen wrestlers from Sadogatake Beya, one of the training "stables" that supplies the sport with wrestlers.
Some 4,000 people turned out on June 7 to watch the series of matches at Caesaria, a former Roman amphitheater near Tel Aviv. In addition to actual bouts between wrestlers, some of whom weigh more than 150 kilograms, the photo opportunities were humorous "matches" between the massive wrestlers and children. During their stay, the wrestlers also took part in goodwill events, such as visiting a hospital and dropping by a beach for activities with children.
UTI released the N Series light duty trucks in 1995 as the Isuzu Sumo to emphasize its power and toughness, figuring that the distinctive name would help to build awareness in the commercial vehicle market. Quickly establishing a strong local presence, the Isuzu Sumo has been the top seller in its class every year since its debut. Market share rose to 45 percent last year, and UTI now hopes to see sales rise even higher as a result introducing Israel's new familiarity with sumo, a national sport of Japan.

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