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Akebono suffers
second loss; 4 lead
at New Year Sumo

TOKYO, Jan. 20 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Akebono fell victim to one of his old bad habits Thursday as he relinquished sole possession of the lead at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament after suffering his second loss.

Fighting in the day's final bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, Akebono deployed a series of arm thrusts shortly after the face-off to force No. 4 maegashira Tochinonada back to the edge of the ring.

But the burly Hawaiian, perched on the straw ridge like an oversized flamingo, then lost his balance and stepped out after Tochinonada (6-6) had deftly sidestepped his charging opponent.

With the loss, Akebono dropped to 10-2 in the 15-day tourney and now sits in a four-way tie along with Musoyama, Miyabiyama and Kyokutenho, who were all victorious Thursday.

Fellow yokozuna Takanohana, meanwhile, kept his title hopes alive with a convincing win over sekiwake Kaio (6-6).

Takanohana went on the offensive from the outset with a series of arm thrusts and then got a grip of Kaio's belt and calmly bumped his opponent out over the edge to pull to within one win of the lead at 9-3.

Sekiwake Musoyama claimed a share of the lead after he prevailed in a shove-fest with No. 3 maegashira Kotonishiki, forcing the veteran grappler back to the straw bails and shoving him out to his ninth loss.

In other bouts, komusubi Miyabiyama slapped Akinoshima (6-6) down with a left arm to the back of the head just as he was about to be shoved out by the determined No. 4 maegashira.

Mongolian Kyokutenho, fighting as a No. 13 maegashira, stayed in the hunt for the Emperor's Cup with a hard-fought win over No. 2 maegashira Kotonowaka (5-7).

After getting a hold of Kotonowaka's belt, Kyokutenho pulled his bulky opponent toward him and then propelled him out of the ring with his right hand to improve to 10-2.

Dejima suffered a serious blow to his chances when he was upset by lowly No.5 maegashira Hamanoshima, (4-8) who came charging out of the blocks, got both hands on the back of the belt and shoved the stunned ozeki out to his fourth loss.

Results

Results of 12th-day bouts at New Year Grand Sumo Tournament

TOKYO, Jan. 20 (Kyodo) -- Results of makuuchi division bouts Thursday, the 12th day of the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division):

Won -- Technique -- Lost

+Oginishiki 10-2 -- uwatenage -- Ohinode 3-9
Takanowaka 9-3 -- uwatenage -- Chiyotenzan 9-3
+Hayateumi 9-3 -- yorikiri -- Otsukasa 4-8
Kaiho 5-7 -- shitatehineri -- Minatofuji 6-6
Tokitsuumi 8-4 -- yorikiri -- Tamakasuga 5-7
Asanosho 6-6 -- tsukiotoshi -- Takatoriki 4-8
Oikari 8-4 -- oshidashi -- Terao 4-8
Kyokushuzan 5-7 -- oshidashi -- Kinkaiyama 6-6
Wakanoyama 6-6 -- oshidashi -- Aogiyama 4-8
Kyokutenho 10-2 -- uwatedashinage -- Kotonowaka 5-7
Asanowaka 1-11 -- oshidashi -- Toki 2-10
Shikishima 5-7 -- yoritaoshi -- Kotoryu 3-9
Miyabiyama 10-2 -- tsukiotoshi -- Akinoshima 6-6
Musoyama 10-2 -- oshidashi -- Kotonishiki 3-9
Tosanoumi 6-6 -- yorikiri -- Tochiazuma 6-6
Hamanoshima 4-8 -- yorikiri -- Dejima 8-4
Chiyotaikai 8-4 -- tsukidashi -- Takanonami 7-5
Takanohana 9-3 -- yorikiri -- Kaio 6-6
Tochinonada 6-6 -- hikiotoshi -- Akebono 10-2

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Friday's bouts

+Daizen x - x Oikari
+Wakanojo x - x Ohinode
Kinkaiyama 0 - 2 Tokitsuumi
Tamakasuga 0 - 0 Takanowaka
Minatofuji 1 - 0 Wakanoyama
Terao 1 - 0 Otsukasa
Takatoriki 10 - 4 Aogiyama
Kyokushuzan 5 - 7 Asanosho
Kaiho 4 - 1 Asanowaka
Hamanoshima 5 - 6 Kotoryu
Toki 3 - 1 Kotonishiki
Kyokutenho 0 - 0 Miyabiyama
Tosanoumi 7 - 10 Kotonowaka
Shikishima 1 - 3 Takanonami
Musoyama 0 - 0 Chiyotenzan
Akinoshima 4 - 9 Tochiazuma
Kaio 6 - 2 Tochinonada
Dejima 5 - 2 Akebono
Takanohana 5 - 3 Chiyotaikai

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Results in Scoreboard

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