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Akebono storms to
12th win in Nagoya,
close to title

NAGOYA, July 20 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Akebono barged out fourth-ranked maegashira Oginishiki on Thursday to coast to his 12th consecutive victory in the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament and come within one win of his 10th Emperor's Cup.

The Hawaiian giant looks almost certain to win his first championship since the summer "basho" in 1997 as title challengers ozeki Chiyotaikai and No. 11 maegashira Takamisakari both stumbled to defeat in the 15-day tourney at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.

Oginishiki (5-7) was no match for Akebono as he wrapped up Thursday's bouts with another no-nonsense win after his towering 230-kilogram frame made light work of the rank-and-file wrestler for a powerful force-out victory.

Defending Nagoya champion Dejima (9-3) severely dented Chiyotaikai's title hopes, proving to be too much for the fellow ozeki, who did nothing but backpedal out of the ring in the face of devastating arm thrusts.

Makuuchi division newcomer Takamisakari was unable to put up resistance against a throwing attempt by No. 6 maegashira Kaiho (6-6) and slipped into a five-way tie at 9-3 with three days left in the tournament.

Yokozuna Musashimaru (9-3) kept his faint title chances alive after ramming out fifth-ranked maegashira Higonoumi (4-8).

Sekiwake Kaio (8-4) held on to his slim hopes of promotion to sumo's second highest rank as he forced out ozeki Miyabiyama, who at 5-7 is on the brink of recording a losing record in his ozeki debut.

Musoyama (4-8), who suffered the ignominy of becoming the only the second wrestler in the Showa era to be demoted after just two tourneys as an ozeki on Wednesday, lost again after being slapped down by sekiwake Tochiazuma (9-3).

Results of main bouts on
12th day of Nagoya sumo

NAGOYA, July 20 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Thursday, the 12th day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost

+Oikari 6-6 oshidashi Kinkaiyama 5-7
Aogiyama 5-7 oshidashi Daizen 3-9
Tokitsuumi 8-4 uwatenage Chiyotenzan 8-4
Minatofuji 5-7 uwatehineri Shikishima 2-10
Takatoriki 8-4 hatakikomi Aminishiki 8-4
Kotonowaka 7-5 yorikiri Sentoryu 6-6
Kyokutenho 8-4 hatakikomi Otsukasa 7-5
Kaiho 6-6 uwatenage Takamisakari 9-3
Wakanoyama 6-6 okuridashi Kyokushuzan 4-8
Tochinonada 4-8 tsukidashi Hamanoshima 5-7
Kotoryu 7-5 yorikiri Asanowaka 2-10
Toki 4-8 hikiotoshi Takanowaka 4-8
Akinoshima 6-6 uwatenage Tochinohana 5-7
Tosanoumi 5-7 yoritaoshi Tamakasuga 2-10
Takanonami 5-7 sotogake Hayateumi 6-6
Kaio 8-4 yorikiri Miyabiyama 5-7
Dejima 9-3 oshidashi Chiyotaikai 9-3
Tochiazuma 9-3 hatakikomi Musoyama 4-8
Musashimaru 9-3 oshidashi Higonoumi 4-8
Akebono 12-0 oshidashi Oginishiki 5-7

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Friday's bouts

Aogiyama x - x +Kotonishiki
Aminishiki 0 - 0 Otsukasa
Chiyotenzan 3 - 1 Takatoriki
Kotonowaka 1 - 1 Tokitsuumi
Daizen 1 - 0 Kotoryu
Kaiho 0 - 0 Sentoryu
Kinkaiyama 0 - 2 Higonoumi
Hamanoshima 0 - 5 Wakanoyama
Oginishiki 5 - 4 Minatofuji
Shikishima 4 - 6 Asanowaka
Kyokushuzan 2 - 1 Takanowaka
Kyokutenho 0 - 0 Tochinohana
Toki 1 - 0 Tamakasuga
Tosanoumi 7 - 18 Takanonami
Takamisakari 0 - 0 Tochiazuma
Kaio 20 - 5 Akinoshima
Tochinonada 2 - 4 Musoyama
Dejima 0 - 0 Hayateumi
Akebono 3 - 2 Miyabiyama
Chiyotaikai 6 - 5 Musashimaru

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Akebono keeps sole
lead, one step closer
to tournament win

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) - Hawaiin-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono sent out lower-ranked Oginishiki and kept his sole lead at 12-0 Thursday with three days left in the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament.

Akebono needs only one more victory to clinch his 10th tournament title, his first since the 1997 summer tournament.

Five wrestlers are chasing Akebono at 9-3. They are yokozuna Musashimaru, ozekis (champions) Chiyotaikai and Dejima, sekiwake (junior champion) Tochiazuma and No. 11 maegashira (senior wrestler) Takamisakari.

Wrestling before 8,600 spectators at the Aichi Prefectural (state) Gymnasium in central Japan, Akebono, or Chad Rowan, fought off No. 4 maegashira Oginishiki's initial charge of sidestepping and thrust him out, leaving Oginishiki at 5-7.

Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani of Hawaii, pushed out No. 5 maegashira Higonoumi. Higonoumi is 4-8.

In other major bouts, Dejima forced out Chiyotaikai, leaving both wrestlers at 9-3.

Sekiwake Tochiazuma pushed ozeki Musoyama to the ring's edge and quickly pulled him down, handing Musoyama his ninth defeat against three victories.

Sekiwake Kaio, seeking promotion to ozeki, sumo's second highest rank, bulldozed out ozeki Miyabiyama for his eighth victory against four defeats. Miyabiyama is 5-7.

No. 6 maegashira Kaiho threw down No. 11 maegashira Takamisakari for his sixth victories against six defeats.

No. 7 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Tsevengnyam Nyamjav from Mongolia, slapped down No. 12 maegashira Otsukasa for his eighth victory against four defeats. Otsukasa is 7-5.

No. 7 maegashira Kotonowaka sent out No. 13 maegashira Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller from St. Louis, Missouri, after pushing each other in the mid-ring for one minute and 20 seconds. A sumo bout usually lasts 10 or 15 seconds.

Kotonowaka is 7-5 and Sentoryu 6-6.

No. 4 maegashira Wakanoyama sent out No. 8 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, from behind for his sixth victory against six defeats. Kyokushuzan is 4-8.

In the 26-member juryo division just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 8-ranked Hoshitango (0-11), or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, was driven out by No. 1-ranked Kotonishiki (6-6).

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 12-ranked Wakaazuma (2-3), or Yoshinobu Kuroda from Brazil, pushed out No. 19-ranked Fusanohana.

No. 42-ranked Kyokutenzan (3-3), or Mongolian Enkhbat Batmunkha, sent out No. 45-ranked Kaigo from behind.

No. 3-ranked Kasugaoh (5-1), or Kim Son-tek from South Korea, of sandanme division, the second-highest junior division, drove out No. 59-ranked Yoshinoh.

In sandanme, No. 72-ranked Akasekiryu (4-2), or Mongolian Badaarch Dashunyam, threw down No. 79-ranked Kotoshiba.

In Jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 52-ranked Kitakasuga (2-4), or Mongolian Tsolmonbayar Munkhbat, drove out No. 49-ranked Fujinawa.

No. 84-ranked Fudoyama (3-3), or Mongolian Nyamjuv Luvsandorj, crushed down No. 78-ranked Kaishimizu.

No. 80-ranked Hakuba (5-1), or Mongolian Ariunbayar Unurjargal, downed No. 86-ranked Oonohikari by a leg trick.

No. 134-ranked Ryuo (5-1), or Mongolian Erkhem Ochirsanchirbold, sent out No. 142-ranked Hagurokuni.

Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the 15-day tournament.

Results of main sumo bouts

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) - Results of main bouts Thursday, the 12th day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium:

Winners Losers

Oikari (juryo) (6-6) Kinkaiyama (5-7)
Aogiyama (5-7) Daizen (3-9)
Tokitsuumi (8-4) Chiyotenzan (8-4)
Minatofuji (5-7) Shikishima (2-10)
Takatoriki (8-4) Aminishiki (8-4)
Kotonowaka (7-5) Sentoryu (6-6)
Kyokutenho (8-4) Otsukasa (7-5)
Kaiho (6-6) Takamisakari (9-3)
Wakanoyama (6-6) Kyokushuzan (4-8)
Tochinonada (4-8) Hamanoshima (5-7)
Kotoryu (7-5) Asanowaka (2-10)
Toki (4-8) Takanowaka (4-8)
Akinoshima (6-6) Tochinohana (5-7)
Tosanoumi (5-7) Tamakasuga (2-10)
Takanonami (5-7) Hayateumi (6-6)
Kaio (8-4) Miyabiyama (5-7)
Dejima (9-3) Chiyotaikai (9-3)
Tochiazuma (9-3) Musoyama (3-9)
Musashimaru (9-3) Higonoumi (4-8)
Akebono (12-0) Oginishiki (5-7)

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Juryo Division

Kotonishiki (6-6) Hoshitango (0-12)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Wakaazuma (2-3-1x) Fusanohana
Kyokutenzan (3-3) Kaigo
Kasugaoh (5-1) Yoshioh

Sandanme

Asasekiryu (4-2) Kotoshiiba

Jonidan

Kitakasuga (2-4) Fujinawa
Fudoyama (3-3) Kaishimizu
Hakuba (5-1) Onohikari
Ryuo (5-1) Hagurokuni

x - indicates absence.

(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament.
Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)

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Friday's main bouts:

Aogiyama Kotonishiki (juryo)
Aminishiki Otsukasa
Chiyotenzan Takatoriki
Kotonowaka Tokitsuumi
Daizen Kotoryu
Kaiho Sentoryu
Kinkaiyama Higonoumi
Hamanoshima Wakanoyama
Oginishiki Minatofuji
Shikishima Asanowaka
Kyokushuzan Takanowaka
Kyokutenho Tochinohana
Toki Tamakasuga
Tosanoumi Takanonami
Takamisakari Tochiazuma
Kaio Akinoshima
Tochinonada Musoyama
Dejima Hayateumi
Akebono Miyabiyama
Chiyotaikai Musashimaru

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Results in Scoreboard

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Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service