Wakanohana likely to
sit out Nagoya

NAGOYA, July 1 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Wakanohana, who celebrated his ascension to sumo’s ultimate rank here one year ago, will likely sit out the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, stable master Futagoyama said Thursday.

Wakanohana is still hobbled by the injury to his left ankle that forced the grand champion to pull out of the summer tourney in May.

”The most important thing is to recover from the injury. The ankle still hurts and so I intend to make (Wakanohana) sit out the upcoming meet,” Futagoyama said on the day before the sumo stables are required to inform the Japan Sumo Association which wrestlers will miss the Nagoya tournament.

Wakanohana, who has yet to win a championship since being promoted to yokozuna one year ago, pulled out of the spring tourney in March with a thigh injury and then withdrew from the summer meet with a swollen left ankle on the eighth day.

The yokozuna had been practicing in an attempt to get ready for the Nagoya tourney getting under way Sunday at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, but missed practice the last two days because of the nagging ankle injury.

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