Sumo
TOKYO, Sept. 18 (Kyodo) - Injured ozeki Takanonami will be out of action for at least three weeks after being diagnosed with a torn muscle in his right thigh, the Futagoyama stable said Saturday. Injured ozeki Takanonami
to spend 3 weeks on sidelinesTakanonami, who pulled out of the ongoing Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday night after hurting his leg in Thursday's loss to Kotonishiki, is "touch-and-go" for the Kyushu tourney in November, stable master Futagoyama said.
Fears that Takanonami had fractured his leg proved unfounded after further X-rays were taken at a Tokyo hospital Saturday, but Futagoyama insisted that the 196-centimeter ozeki would not be rushed back into ring.
"Right now, there's a thin line between him being fit in time for Kyushu or having to sit it out," he said.
After losing to Tamakasuga on Friday and defaulting to Kotonowaka 24 hours later, Takanonami - a two-time Emperor's Cup winner - is missing his first tourney since Kyushu in 1985, when the Aomori native was still wrestling in the junior makushita division.
Takanonami joins stablemate yokozuna Takanohana and Hawaiian-born grand champion Akebono as the third makuuchi division grappler in the top two ranks sidelined with injury since the autumn meet opened last Sunday.
TOKYO (AP) - Beginning his bout with a powerful lunge forward, No. 5 maegashira (senior wrestler) Miyabiyama made quick work of his opponent Saturday to keep the sole 7-0 lead on the seventh day of the 15-day Autumn Grand Sumo tournament. Miyabiyama keeps firm
grip on lead in TokyoYokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru and No. 3 maegashira Akinoshima trailed one victory behind the leader with six victories and one defeat.
Wrestling at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in downtown Tokyo, Miyabiyama locked his left arm under No. 6 maegashira Chiyotenzan, and twisted him once before pushing him out of the ring, leaving Chiyotenzan at 3-4.
Musashimaru, or or Fiamalu Penitani from Hawaii, pushed out No. 3 maegashira Toki in the day's last bout for his fifth victory in a row and sixth overall. Toki now stands at 2-5.
Akinoshima flipped and threw No. 6 maegashira Wakanosato to the ground, leaving the loser at 3-4.
In other important bouts, yokozuna Wakanohana, now at 4-3, grabbed No. 4 maegashira Shikishima and spun him around before pushing him out by the belt, leaving Shikishima at 2-5.
No. 1 maegashira Tochiazuma rose to 4-3 after defeating ozeki (champion) Chiyotakai, now at 5-2, by slapping the higher-ranked wrestler down from behind his head.
Ozeki Dejima slapped down veteran komusubi (junior champion second class) Kotonishiki after a solid clash at the face-off. Dejima now stands at 4-3 and Kotonishiki at 3-4.
Ozeki Takanonami forfeited his bout with No. 4 maegashira Kotonowaka because of a thigh injury. This left the ozeki at 3-4 and Kotonowaka 4-3.
After absorbing a volley of thrusts from fellow second-ranked maegashira Asanosho, Kyokushuzan slipped behind and spun his opponent to the floor. Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, is now at 2-5 and Asanosho at 1-6.
No. 12 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, gave No. 11 maegashira Wakanoyama his second loss by bulldozing him out of the ring.
In the juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 10-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, pushed down No. 9-ranked Dewataira. This left the Argentinian at 5-2 and his challenger at 4-3.
No. 10-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, lost to No. 6-ranked Kobo. The Japanese wrestler wrapped his arm around Sentoryu, causing it to lock before throwing him down. Sentoryu now stands at 3-4 and Kobo at 4-3.
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