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Sumo
Takanohana looking
to bring title back to
Futagoyama stableWakanohana back for spring
Kyodo News Service
tourney, Kotonowaka outOSAKA, March 10 (Kyodo) - When yokozuna Takanohana carted home his 20th Emperor's Cup in September 1998, Japanese sports pundits wondered if the sumo thoroughbred would be the one to surpass the record of 32 career championships held by the legendary Taiho.
The next step, however, has been elusive for Takanohana, who spent most of 1999 nursing a spate of injuries and distracted by the fallout of his personal problems including the much-publicized estrangement from his elder brother Wakanohana.
Nearly 18 months later, now, the 27-year-old grand champion finally appears ready to resume his quest for No. 21 and Taiho's record when the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament gets under way Sunday at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.
Takanohana, a runner-up in the New Year basho at 12-3, has looked sharper physically in pre-tournament practices and has been noticeably more relaxed - along with his father and stablemaster Futagoyama - in his outward appearance.
Standing in the way of the yokozuna's resurgence, however, is the Musashigawa stable, riding a tidal wave of confidence after winning the last six Emperor's Cups in a row and having four wrestlers crowded into the top three ranks.
Sekiwake Musoyama leads the Musashigawa stable into the tournament after taking home the title in January with a 13-2 mark and will be a strong candidate for promotion to ozeki with 10 or more wins.
Musoyama hopes also that this trip to Osaka will not be deja vu all over again. The perennial sekiwake/komusubi entered last year's spring meet with ozeki aspirations only to have them squashed by a dislocated shoulder on the second day of the tournament.
If he stays healthy, Musoyama should have a good shot at ozeki since he does not have to face stablemates yokozuna Musashimaru, ozeki Dejima and newly promoted sekiwake Miyabiyama.
Musashimaru, for his part, is behind schedule in his preparations after pulling out in January with a wrist injury and Dejima appears to have lost some of the crispness in his initial charge, or tachiai.
Miyabiyama, meanwhile, was a surprising 12-3 in January as a komusubi and could be a legitimate ozeki candidate later this year.
Like Dejima, ozeki Chiyotaikai appears to have lost the momentum he enjoyed last year after winning the January tourney, largely since opponents have learned to deal with his one-dimensional shoving, thrusting style of sumo.
Ozeki Takanonami, on the other hand, has appeared sharp and heavier in practice after narrowly regaining his rank with 10 wins as a sekiwake in January. If there is a concern for the Futagoyama stable trickster, it may be his chronic battle with hay fever.
Also in the upper ranks, yokozuna Akebono hopes to improve on his 11-4 record in January just enough to win his 10th Emperor's Cup and first since May 1997, but his shaky pins make his chances suspect.
Injury-prone grand champion Wakanohana returns to the ring for the first time in six months and needs a positive performance to silence critics calling for his retirement after he finished 7-8 last September.
Mongolia's Kyokutenho, who notched 11 wins as a No. 13 maegashira in January, will learn if he can compete with the top-ranked wrestlers on a daily basis as a No. 2 maegashira while Kyokushuzan seeks to return to komusubi, his highest ranking in March 1997.
OSAKA, March 10 (Kyodo) - Makuuchi division bouts for the first two days of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium: Main bouts for 1st, 2nd day
of Spring Grand Sumo Tournament
Sunday, March 12
Takatoriki 1 - 1 Kaiho
Terao 5 - 6 Daizen
Oikari 0 - 0 Hayateumi
Asanosho 2 - 8 Oginishiki
Hamanoshima 3 - 5 Kotonishiki
Asanowaka 2 - 1 Toki
Tokitsuumi 3 - 2 Shikishima
Tochinonada 1 - 3 Chiyotenzan
Akinoshima 0 - 0 Takanowaka
Minatofuji 0 - 2 Miyabiyama
Musoyama 4 - 2 Kotoryu
Takanonami 0 - 0 Kyokutenho
Tochiazuma 7 - 3 Chiyotaikai
Dejima 6 - 4 Tamakasuga
Wakanoyama 0 - 1 Wakanohana
Musashimaru 9 - 1 Kyokushuzan
Kaio 2 - 20 Akebono
Takanohana 15 - 6 Tosanoumi
Monday, March 13
Takatoriki 5 - 3 Daizen
Oikari 1 - 0 Kaiho
Terao 9 - 3 Oginishiki
Asanowaka 0 - 0 Hayateumi
Asanosho 2 - 4 Kotonishiki
Hamanoshima 2 - 4 Toki
Tochinonada 1 - 1 Tokitsuumi
Shikishima 2 - 2 Chiyotenzan
Kotoryu 0 - 4 Akinoshima
Takanowaka 0 - 0 Kaio
Musoyama 9 - 1 Minatofuji
Dejima 0 - 0 Kyokutenho
Takanonami 17 - 6 Tosanoumi
Tamakasuga 2 - 4 Chiyotaikai
Takanohana 8 - 0 Kyokushuzan
Miyabiyama 0 - 2 Wakanohana
Musashimaru 12 - 2 Tochiazuma
Wakanoyama 0 - 0 Akebono
OSAKA, March 9 (Kyodo) -Yokozuna Wakanohana will step back onto the raised ring after a six-month layoff for the upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, sources with the Futagoyama stable said Thursday. Wakanohana back
for spring tourney,
Kotonowaka outWakanohana, 29, has been out of action since injuring muscles in his left thigh during last September's autumn tourney to finish with an unseemly record of 7 wins and 8 losses, thus prompting speculation of his possible retirement.
The modestly built grand champion sat out the entire Kyushu basho in November and then missed the New Year tourney still troubled by an old muscle pull in his right thigh.
"I am very nervous about deciding to compete under these conditions. Still, there's nothing I can say other than I will do my best," Wakanohana said through a Futagoyama stable spokesman.
In Thursday's practice, Wakanohana went 10-2 against stablemate and No. 14 maegashira Takatoriki, but appeared sluggish and tentative and unlikely to produce any convincing results as a grand champion in the upcoming tournament.
Meanwhile, No. 3 maegashira Kotonowaka will likely sit out the 15-day basho getting under way at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium on Sunday after twisting his left knee in practice a week ago.
The Sadogatake stable wrestler, who has been unable to practice all week, said, "While I can walk now, I still can't bend my knee. I'm lifting weights trying to strengthen my upper body."
OSAKA, March 9 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Wakanohana will step back onto the raised ring after a six-month layoff for the upcoming Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, sources with the Futagoyama stable said Thursday. Wakanohana to step back
into dohyo in spring tourneyWakanohana, 29, has been out of action since injuring muscles in his left thigh during last September's autumn tourney to finish with an unseemly record of 7 wins and 8 losses, thus prompting speculation of his possible retirement.
The modestly built grand champion sat out the entire Kyushu basho in November and then missed the New Year tourney still troubled by an old muscle pull in his right thigh. There had also been concerns that Wakanohana might be forced to sit out the spring meet.
"I am very nervous about deciding to compete under these conditions. Still, there's nothing I can say other than I will do my best," Wakanohana said through a Futagoyama stable spokesman.
The 15-day spring tourney gets under way at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium on Sunday.
For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service