Takanohana wins for
share of lead at Osaka

OSAKA, March 20 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Takanohana posted an easy win while Chiyotenzan suffered his first loss Saturday as both wrestlers moved into a four-way tie for the lead on the seventh day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Takanohana wasted little time as he forced Tamakasuga, 3-4, to the edge of the ring and, with both hands locked firmly on the belt, lifted the No. 4 maegashira up and over the straw ridge at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for his sixth win against one loss.

No. 13 maegashira Ohinode handed Chiyotenzan his first loss as he came charging out of the face-off and got his left arm around the ninth-ranked maegashira before shoving him out in a matter of seconds, leaving both wrestlers at 6-1.

In the day’s final bout, yokozuna Wakanohana fought off a left-arm throw by Higonoumi, 2-5, near the edge of the ring and then managed to get his left hand on the back of the No. 4 maegashira to swat him down to improve to 4-3.

Resurgent ozeki Takanonami quickly got both hands on the belt of fifth-ranked maegashira Tochinonada and, after a failed arm throw at the edge, forced his opponent out with his upper body.

Takanonami is 6-1 while Tochinonada dropped to 4-3.

Fellow ozeki Musashimaru survived a scare at the hands of Tochiazuma but recovered to pull the komusubi down with his left arm as both wrestlers now stand one win off the lead along with three others at 5-2.

Chiyotaikai, who has struggled thus far in his ozeki debut, picked up only his second win of the tourney when he forced Tosanoumi, 2-5, back with a series of arm thrusts and then threw the No. 2 maegashira off balance by stepping back and yanking him down.

Rising star Miyabiyama, making his makuuchi debut as a No. 7 maegashira, sidestepped Minatofuji, 3-4, after the face-off and slapped the sixth-ranked maegashira down with a hand on the back of his opponent’s head to join the group of five at 5-2.

Also at 5-2 are fifth-ranked maegashira Toki, who used a barrage of arm thrusts to shove out top-ranked maegashira Takatoriki, 2-5, and komusubi Akinoshima who suffered a loss to No. 1 maegashira Kotonishiki, 3-4.

For more sumo information
online, try Sumo Web!