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Sumo
Akebono takes sole
lead at Kyushu sumo
FUKUOKA, Nov. 16 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Akebono blasted out ozeki Dejima on Thursday to take pole position at 11-1 in the Emperor's Cup race as fellow yokozuna Takanohana threw rank-and-filer Kotomitsuki to his second defeat at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.Takanohana and Kotomitsuki now lie in a four-way tie at 10-2 with grand champion Musashimaru and ozeki Kaio, who both posted wins to remain hot on the heels of the leader as the 15-day tourney at Fukuoka Kokusai Center now enters the final stretch.
Akebono, in his quest to become the only wrestler to lift two Emperors Cups this year following his triumph in the Nagoya tourney in July, looked like unhinging Dejima's head from his shoulders as he nonchalantly blasted the ozeki out to his fourth loss.
Kotomitsuki, aiming to follow up on his upset win over Musashimaru on Wednesday, came out with all guns blazing but it was Takanohana's strength and technique that made sure he remained upright at the end of Thursday's finale.
Kotomitsuki dug in low at the charge and refused to budge at the mid-ring tussle but Takanohana, spotting an opening under the No. 9 maegashira's right arm, quickly dived in for the kill to haul Kotomitsuki down for the win.
Defending Kyushu meet champion Musashimaru survived a spirited attack from Chiyotaikai (9-3), who forced the Samoa-born giant to the edge of the ring, before sliding the ozeki back across the dirt and over the ridge to keep his back-to-back title quest within his grasp.
Fukuoka favorite Kaio danced fellow ozeki Miyabiyama (8-4) around the ring and then secured control of the Musashigawa stable wrestler's belt to send him tumbling out of the ring and remain firmly in the hunt for his first Kyushu title.
In other main bouts, Musoyama improved to 7-5 as the ozeki bolted out of the tachi-ai with a windmill of slaps and thrusts before barging out No. 7 maegashira Tochinonada (8-4) for the win.
Sekiwake Takanonami, a former ozeki, got a two-handed grip on the sash of Tochinohana to carry the komusubi over the straw bails, leaving both grapplers at 3-9.
Komusubi Wakanosato forced out top-ranked maegashira Akinoshima (4-8) to post his fifth straight win for a 6-6 record.
Meanwhile, Mongolian No. 3 maegashira Kyokushuzan squashed 10th-ranked Aminishiki (1-11) to move to 4-8 and compatriot Kyokutenho, wrestling as a No. 6 maegashira, notched his fifth win by flinging out 14th-ranked Wakakosho, who also stands at 5-7.
Results
FUKUOKA, Nov. 16 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Thursday, the 12th day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):Winner -- Technique -- Loser
+Daizen 6-6 -- uwatenage -- Tamanonada 4-8
Jumonji 4-8 -- oshidashi -- +Daishi 7-5
Asanowaka 5-7 -- oshidashi -- Kotoryu 6-6
Tamakasuga 6-6 -- sukuinage -- Otsukasa 5-7
Minatofuji 7-5 -- uwatenage -- Kaiho 7-5
Tokitsuumi 7-5 -- hatakikomi -- Tochisakae 6-6
Kyokutenho 5-7 -- uwatenage -- Wakakosho 5-7
Takanowaka 8-4 -- yorikiri -- Tosanoumi 5-7
Kyokushuzan 4-8 -- abisetaoshi -- Aminishiki 1-11
Oginishiki 7-5 -- yorikiri -- Chiyotenzan 5-7
Takatoriki 3-9 -- yorikiri -- Higonoumi 3-9
Kotonowaka 6-6 -- yorikiri -- Hamanoshima 2-10
Wakanoyama 4-8 -- oshidashi -- Toki 5-7
Wakanosato 6-6 -- yorikiri -- Akinoshima 4-8
Takanonami 3-9 -- yorikiri -- Tochinohana 3-9
Musoyama 7-5 -- tsukidashi -- Tochinonada 8-4
Kaio 10-2 -- yoritaoshi -- Miyabiyama 8-4
Akebono 11-1 -- oshidashi -- Dejima 8-4
Musashimaru 10-2 -- oshidashi -- Chiyotaikai 9-3
Takanohana 10-2 -- kotenage -- Kotomitsuki 10-2
Juryo Division
Asashoryu (10-2) Yotsukasa (8-4)
Junior Divisions:
MakushitaWakaazuma (4-2) Gokenzan
Sandanme
Toyoizumi Azumaoh (2-4)
Jonidan
Takaoh (2-4) Hirata
Ryuo (4-2) Hikarikaze
Daibanjaku (3-3) Aonokuni
Ryukizan (3-3) Ono
Orora (4-2) Daigonishiki(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament. Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)
Friday's bouts
Otsukasa 0 - 0 Wakakosho
Tamanonada 0 - 0 Asanowaka
Kaiho 4 - 5 Kotoryu
Minatofuji 1 - 1 Takanowaka
Oginishiki 0 - 4 Tokitsuumi
Tochisakae 0 - 0 Kyokutenho
Tamakasuga 0 - 2 Toki
Kotonowaka 3 - 2 Chiyotenzan
Jumonji 0 - 0 Hamanoshima
Higonoumi 0 - 1 Aminishiki
Takatoriki 2 - 0 Wakanoyama
Akinoshima 10 - 11 Tosanoumi
Tochinonada 1 - 2 Wakanosato
Takanonami 8 - 5 Kyokushuzan
Tochinohana 1 - 1 Musoyama
Miyabiyama 3 - 4 Chiyotaikai
Dejima 0 - 0 Kotomitsuki
Kaio 6 - 24 Akebono
Musashimaru 14 - 29 Takanohana
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Kyodo News Service