NAGOYA, Japan -- In a sport steeped in ancient rituals and Japanese tradition, one young foreigner faces the weighty issue of how to keep faithful to his religious observances and be competitive in one of the biggest sumo arenas.

Wrestling under the name Osunaarashi, which translates as 'Great Sandstorm,' the 21-year-old Abdelrahman Ahmed Shalan is the first professional sumo wrestler from the African continent.

Being an outsider has had its challenges. But while he's slowly been adjusting to life in the elite sumo ranks, the young Egyptian does have a unique problem at the 15-day Nagoya tournament where his rivals rely on every part of their preparation being in sync - the event coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. And for Shalan, that means strict fasting - not something usually associated with the larger-than-life image of sumo wrestling.

"I love sumo. Sumo means everything to me," he told The Associated Press in an interview as the Nagoya tournament was commencing. "I've sacrificed being with my friends, being with my family, being in university. I've put all my cards on the table and now we'll see what happens. I believe in myself and believe in my dream."

Shalan arrived in Japan less than two years ago and has quickly risen up the ranks after only eight tournaments. He made his debut in the elite juryo division last Sunday with a win over Mongolian Oniarashi.

He weighs in at 315 pounds and stands 6-foot-2 tall. While his size is a great advantage, his win over Oniarashi proves he relies on more than just brute force as he calmly got a grip of his opponent's belt after the faceoff and deftly forced him out of the ring.

Since arriving in Japan, the wrestler now known as Osunaarashi has done remarkably well, compiling a 45-7 record and winning two titles in the junior divisions. Only two other non-Japanese wrestlers have reached the juryo division from eight tournaments - Hawaiian Konishiki and Estonian Baruto.

"He will get to the top division, I have no doubt about that," sumo columnist Mark Buckton said. "He has a very strong upper body, but that doesn't necessarily translate to success in sumo. Hopefully, he will be able to develop his lower body and learn to fight on the belt."

As much as he likes the attention, Osunaarashi said there are pressures that go with being the first African and Arab wrestler.

It "has many good points and some bad points," he said. "I feel a lot of stress because I am the first African sumo wrestler, so the whole world is watching to see what the first African in sumo will do."

Due to timing of the July 7-21 Nagoya tournament during Ramadan, Osunaarashi can't eat or drink during daylight and must find time for prayer. It's something he learned to cope with at last year's Nagoya tournament but he said the toughest part is not being able to drink water in the stifling summer heat. Even some spectators are struggling in temperatures topping 99 degrees with high humidity.

"For me (Ramadan) is not a big problem," Osunaarashi said. "I got used to it last year in Nagoya. The biggest problem is water. I can't drink water during the day. I eat after midnight, then sleep. But it's not a big problem, I am used to it."

On some occasions, a main meal consists of little more than a rice ball at 3 a.m. during the fast. That's not much to go on when your bout is at 3 p.m. Just how well Osunaarashi will be able to cope in the full 15-day tournament remains to be seen. Until now, his tournaments have been only seven days.