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Sumo
TOKYO, May 10 (Kyodo) - Takanohana cruised to his fourth straight victory Wednesday, while fellow yokozuna Akebono rebounded from Tuesday's setback with a hard-fought win over Tochinonada on the fourth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Yokozuna duo
Takanohana, Akebono
both win in TokyoTakanohana had little trouble with Hamanoshima (0-4) after getting a right arm lock on the No. 2 maegashira shortly after the face-off and quickly sent his opponent tumbling to the dirt surface to remain unbeaten along with six other wrestlers.
Fighting in the day's penultimate bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, Akebono had his hands full with No. 1 maegashira Tochinonada, who battled back from the brink of defeat several times before finally being bellied out by the lumbering Hawaiian.
Akebono improved to 3-1, while Tochinonada suffered his third loss of the 15-day meet.
In other bouts, ozeki Dejima, doing his best impersonation of a human cannon ball, crashed into top maegashira Asanowaka (1-3) and sent him into the first row of seats to improve to 2-2.
Ozeki Chiyotaikai (3-1) prevailed in a slap-fest with Tosanoumi, cuffing the komusubi in the side of the head before throwing him down to his third loss.
Takanonami, who has to post eight wins to avoid demotion from ozeki after a losing record at the spring tourney in Osaka, improved to 4-0 after he got a double arm lock on Daizen and then waltzed the winless No. 3 maegashira out over the straw ridge.
Gunning for ozeki promotion, Miyabiyama (3-1) suffered his first loss of the tourney at the hands of unbeaten komusubi Kaio, who got the upper hand shortly after the charge and then sent the stunned sekiwake packing with a shove from behind.
Komusubi Takatoriki, the surprise winner in the Spring tourney, posted an easy victory over Oginishiki (2-2) after pulling the No. 3 maegashira down to boost his record to 2-2.
Earlier, the top makuuchi division's two Mongolians, No. 4 maegashira Kyokushuzan (0-4) and sixth-ranked Kyokutenho (2-2), both suffered one-sided losses.
Results of main bouts on 4th day of summer sumo
TOKYO, May 10 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts on Wednesday, the fourth day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):Won Technique Lost
Kotonowaka 4-0 tsukidashi Terao 1-3
Tochinohana 4-0 oshidashi Aogiyama 1-3
Hayateumi 4-0 yorikiri Jumonji 2-2
Higonoumi 1-3 oshidashi Asanosho 0-4
Toki 4-0 oshidashi Shikishima 2-2
Kinkaiyama 2-2 kotenage Tokitsuumi 1-3
Takanowaka 2-2 yorikiri Kyokutenho 2-2
Akinoshima 2-2 kirikaeshi Chiyotenzan 1-3
Kaiho 1-3 hatakikomi Kyokushuzan 0-4
Kotoryu 3-1 katasukashi Tamakasuga 3-1
Takatoriki 2-2 hikiotoshi Oginishiki 2-2
Kaio 4-0 oshidashi Miyabiyama 3-1
Tochiazuma 3-1 hatakikomi Wakanoyama 0-4
Takanonami 4-0 kimedashi Daizen 0-4
Chiyotaikai 3-1 hatakikomi Tosanoumi 1-3
Dejima 2-2 yorikiri Asanowaka 1-3
Akebono 3-1 yorikiri Tochinonada 1-3
Takanohana 4-0 kotenage Hamanoshima 0-4
Thursday's bouts
Aogiyama x - x +Aminishiki
+Tamamisakari x - x Asanosho
Terao 7 - 9 Higonoumi
Hayateumi 0 - 0 Kotonowaka
Jumonji 0 - 0 Kinkaiyama
Toki 0 - 0 Tochinohana
Shikishima 2 - 3 Chiyotenzan
Kyokutenho 2 - 2 Tokitsuumi
Takanowaka 0 - 1 Kotoryu
Kaiho 0 - 0 Akinoshima
Daizen 2 - 4 Hamanoshima
Kyokushuzan 6 - 4 Asanowaka
Tosanoumi 10 - 5 Tochiazuma
Miyabiyama 4 - 0 Tamakasuga
Dejima 9 - 3 Takatoriki
Tochinonada 3 - 8 Takanonami
Chiyotaikai 0 - 1 Wakanoyama
Oginishiki 2 - 11 Takanohana
Akebono 21 - 6 Kaio
TOKYO, May 10 (Kyodo) - Legislator and former sumo wrestler Kyokudozan said Wednesday he will retire from politics at the end of the current House of Representatives term and will not run in the next general election. Diet member and former
sumo star Kyokudozan
to quit politics"What I was thinking from the beginning was to do my best during the first term, and I have got modest satisfaction on that score," Kyokudozan, an independent, told a press conference.
"Times have changed drastically during my tenure of three and a half years. Parties that were once vehemently opposed are now allies. I will take a crack at various things in the future, such as volunteer activities," added the 35-year-old former komusubi-ranked wrestler, whose real name is Kazuyasu Hata.
Kyokudozan became a lawmaker in 1996 by clinching a proportional representation seat for the Kinki regional bloc in western Japan, running on the defunct New Frontier Party ticket in a lower house poll.
After the party was disbanded in late 1997, Kyokudozan joined the New Peace Party, now the New Komeito party, before becoming an independent. He is now serving as deputy head in charge of Diet affairs for a lower house parliamentary group, the New Komeito and Reformers Network Party.
TOKYO (AP) - Yokozuna (grand champion) Takanohana threw down maegashira (senior wrestler) Hamanoshima for his fourth victory against no defeats Wednesday, the fourth day of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo tournament. Takanohana remains
undefeated in Summer
Grand SumoHis fellow yokozuna Akebono, or Chad Rowan from Hawaii, and all three ozekis (champions) - Dejima, Chiyotaikai and Takanonami - won their bouts.
In the day's final bout at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo arena in downtown Tokyo, winless No. 2 maegashira Hamanoshima grabbed Takanohana's belt and tried to drive him out, but Takanohana threw him down.
Takanohana is seeking his 21st tournament victory.
Akebono forced out No. 1 maegashira Tochinonada for his third victory against one defeat. Tochinonada is 1-3.
In other major bouts, Dejima stepped to the right in the initial charge and sent out No. 1 maegashira Asanowaka to improve to 2-2. Asanowaka is 1-3.
Chiyotaikai slapped down komusubi (junior champion second class) Tosanoumi for his third victory against one defeat. Tosanoumi is 1-3.
Takanonami clamped winless No. 3 maegashira Daizen's arms from outside and sent him out for his fourth victory against no defeats.
Komusubi Kaio fought off sekiwake (junior champion) Miyabiyama's hand thrusts and drove him out from behind to remain undefeated at 4-0. Miyabiyama, seeking promotion to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki, suffered his first defeat against three victories.
No. 5 maegashira Kaiho charged winless No. 4 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, with hand thrusts and pulled him down for his first victory against three defeats.
No. 7 maegashira Takanowaka grabbed No. 6 maegashira Kyokutenho's belt and forced him out, leaving both wrestlers at 2-2. Kyokutenho's real name is Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav.
In the 26-member Juryo, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 3-ranked Takamisakari crushed down No. 2-ranked Sentoryu for his fourth straight victory. Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, is 1-3.
No. 7-ranked Ohinode crushed down No. 10-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, for his third victory against one defeat. Hoshitango is 1-3.
In makushita, the top junior division, No. 9-ranked Asashoyu (2-0), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, sent out No. 8-ranked Minami.
No. 47-ranked Kasugaoh (1-1), or Kim Son-tek from South Korea, pulled down No. 46-ranked Wakachikuba.
In sandanme, the second highest junior division, No. 82-ranked Azumaoh (1-1), or Brazilian Yasuto Morita, twisted down No. 81-ranked Tamanohana.
In jonidan, the third highest junior division, No. 80-ranked Asasekiryu (2-0), or Mongolian Badaarch Dashunyam, threw down No. 78-ranked Kotobuki.
No. 93-ranked Daibanjaku (0-2), or Mongolian Batsukh Khaidavmunkh, was toppled by No. 95-ranked Ezaki.
In jonokuchi, the lowest junior division, No. 20-ranked Orora (1-1), or Russian Mikhakhanov Anatolivaleryevich, was sent out by No. 21-ranked Matsumoto.
Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the 15-day tournament.
Results of Main Sumo Bouts
TOKYO (AP) - Results of main bouts Wednesday, the fourth day of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena:Winners Losers
Kotonowaka (4-0) Terao (1-3)
Tochinohana (4-0) Aogiyama (1-3)
Hayateumi (4-0) Jumonji (2-2)
Higonoumi (1-3) Asanosho (0-4)
Toki (4-0) Shikishima (2-2)
Kinkaiyama (2-2) Tokitsuumi (1-3)
Takanowaka (2-2) Kyokutenho (2-2)
Akinoshima (2-2) Chiyotenzan (1-3)
Kaiho (1-3) Kyokushuzan (0-4)
Kotoryu (3-1) Tamakasuga (3-1)
Takatoriki (2-2) Oginishiki (2-2)
Kaio (4-0) Miyabiyama (3-1)
Tochiazuma (3-1) Wakanoyama (0-4)
Takanonami (4-0) Daizen (0-4)
Chiyotaikai (3-1) Tosanoumi (1-3)
Dejima (2-2) Asanowaka (1-3)
Akebono (3-1) Tochinonada (1-3)
Takanohana (4-0) Hamanoshima (0-4)
Juryo Division
Ohinode (3-1) Hoshitango (1-3)
Takamisakari (4-0) Sentoryu (1-3)
Junior Divisions:
Makushita
Asashoyu (2-0) Minami
Kasugaoh (1-1) Wakachikuba
Sandanme
Azumaoh (1-1) Tamanohana
Jonidan
Asasekiryu (2-0) Kotobuki
Ezaki Daibanjaku (0-2)
Jonokuchi
Asamatsumoto Orora (1-1)(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament. Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)
Wednesday's main bouts:
Aogiyama Aminishiki (juryo)
Tamamisakari (juryo) Asanosho
Terao Higonoumi
Hayateumi Kotonowaka
Jumonji Kinkaiyama
Toki Tochinohana
Shikishima Chiyotenzan
Kyokutenho Tokitsuumi
Takanowaka Kotoryu
Kaiho Akinoshima
Daizen Hamanoshima
Kyokushuzan Asanowaka
Tosanoumi Tochiazuma
Miyabiyama Tamakasuga
Dejima Takatoriki
Tochinonada Takanonami
Chiyotaikai Wakanoyama
Oginishiki Takanohana
Akebono Kaio
Results in Scoreboard
For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service