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Sumo
NAGOYA, July 21 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Akebono forced out ozeki Miyabiyama on Friday to assure his victory in the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, knocking a huge monkey off his back with his first championship in more than three years. Akebono gains 10th
triumph in NagoyaAkebono notched his 13th straight win without a loss at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium to take an insurmountable three-win advantage over ozeki Chiyotaikai and sekiwake Tochiazuma into the final two days of the 15-day tourney.
The championship is the 10th of Akebono's 22-year sumo career and first since May 1997. It is also his first title since missing three straight tournaments from November 1998 to March 1999, when sumo experts were speculating about his possible retirement.
With bouts remaining against Chiyotaikai on Saturday and fellow grand champion Musashimaru the final day, Akebono appeared eager to wrap up the championship against Miyabiyama and deny any wrestler the hope of possibly forcing a playoff on the final day.
Akebono held the early advantage against Miyabiyama at the face-off, but stumbled when the ozeki tried to pull him down to the left. Catching his balance, the Hawaiian-born yokozuna then withstood the ozeki's attempt to blast him out of the ring.
Akebono regained control and shoved Miyabiyama out of the ring for the win and the championship. The newly promoted ozeki, who suffered his eighth loss, meanwhile, will need to post eight or more wins in September to hold onto sumo's second highest rank.
After the championship was decided, Chiyotaikai (10-3) rammed out Musashimaru (9-4) in an anti-climatic final bout.
Sekiwake Tochiazuma (10-3) twisted down makuuchi newcomer Takamisakari (9-4) by the neck for a 10th win.
In other bouts, No. 5 maegashira Hayateumi (7-6) pulled down ozeki Dejima by the belt and saddled the defending champion to a fourth loss.
Sekiwake Kaio (9-4) pitched over Akinoshima (6-7) with an arm throw to keep alive his chances of being considered for promotion to ozeki.
Ozeki Musoyama, already headed south in the rankings for September, put up little resistance as No. 3 maegashira Tochinonada (5-8) marched him out of the ring for his 10th loss.
Mongolia's Kyokutenho pulled down Tochinohana (5-8) off the jump-off for his ninth win but stablemate and countryman Kyokushuzan fell to a ninth loss, getting tossed out of the ring by Takanowaka (5-8).
In a showdown between 6-6 wrestlers, American Sentoryu snapped down Kaiho - leaving the St. Louis, Missouri native one win shy of promotion from No. 13 maegashira for the autumn tourney in September.
Meanwhile, in the makushita ranks, Asashoryu of Mongolia wrapped up the title in the top junior division by slapping down Raido for his seventh win without a loss.
Wrestlers in the four junior divisions - makushita, sandamme, jonidan and jonokuchi - wrestle only seven matches during the tournament.
NAHA, Japan, July 21 (Kyodo) - French President Jacques Chirac arrived at Naha airport Friday afternoon to attend the three-day Group of Eight (G-8) summit that will begin later in the day in Nago, Okinawa. France's Chirac arrives in
Okinawa for G-8 summitBefore flying to Okinawa, Chirac met with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in Tokyo on Wednesday. In the meeting, Chirac pledged France's support for Japan's bid to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
After the meeting with Mori, Chirac, a sumo aficionado, traveled to Nagoya on Wednesday to watch some of the bouts at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. He returned to Tokyo on Thursday for talks between some of the G-8 leaders and representatives from developing countries.
The G-8 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Russia.
NAGOYA, July 21 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Friday, the 13th day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo division wrestler): Results of main bouts on
13th day of Nagoya sumo
Won Technique Lost
+Kotonishiki 7-6 hatakikomi Aogiyama 5-8
Aminishiki 9-4 yorikiri Otsukasa 7-6
Chiyotenzan 9-4 oshidashi Takatoriki 8-5
Kotonowaka 8-5 uchimuso Tokitsuumi 8-5
Kotoryu 8-5 yorikiri Daizen 3-10
Sentoryu 7-6 hatakikomi Kaiho 6-7
Kinkaiyama 6-7 yorikiri Higonoumi 4-9
Wakanoyama 7-6 oshidashi Hamanoshima 5-8
Minatofuji 6-7 hikiotoshi Oginishiki 5-8
Asanowaka 3-10 tsukiotoshi Shikishima 2-11
Takanowaka 5-8 uwatenage Kyokushuzan 4-9
Kyokutenho 9-4 hatakikomi Tochinohana 5-8
Toki 5-8 hatakikomi Tamakasuga 2-11
Tosanoumi 6-7 oshidashi Takanonami 5-8
Tochiazuma 10-3 uwatenage Takamisakari 9-4
Kaio 9-4 sukuinage Akinoshima 6-7
Tochinonada 5-8 yorikiri Musoyama 3-10
Hayateumi 7-6 uwatedashinage Dejima 9-4
Akebono 13-0 oshidashi Miyabiyama 5-8
Chiyotaikai 10-3 oshidashi Musashimaru 9-4
Saturday's bouts
Shikishima x - x +Terao
+Daishi x - x Otsukasa
Sentoryu 0 - 0 Tokitsuumi
Hamanoshima 7 - 6 Aogiyama
+Kotonishiki x - x Daizen
Kyokushuzan 4 - 0 Kinkaiyama
Kotonowaka 3 - 1 Chiyotenzan
Kaiho 0 - 0 Aminishiki
Takamisakari 0 - 0 Kotoryu
Tochinonada 5 - 1 Minatofuji
Higonoumi 7 - 11 Asanowaka
Toki 0 - 2 Oginishiki
Akinoshima 4 - 0 Wakanoyama
Tosanoumi 0 - 0 Tochinohana
Takanowaka 0 - 2 Tamakasuga
Takatoriki 4 - 14 Tochiazuma
Hayateumi 0 - 0 Musoyama
Dejima 1 - 0 Kyokutenho
Takanonami 5 - 2 Miyabiyama
Kaio 14 - 22 Musashimaru
Akebono 5 - 3 Chiyotaikai
NAGOYA, Japan (AP) - Hawaiian-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono clinched his 10th title Friday by rallying to defeat Miyabiyama with two days remaining in the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament. Akebono wins
Nagoya tournamentAkebono, pushed to the edge of the ring, regained his composure and drove Miyabiyama out of the opposite end of the circle to remain undefeated and clinch his first title since the 1997 summer tournament.
Akebono, or Chad Rowan, is 13-0, while Miyabiyama fell to 5-8.
In the battle for second place, ozeki (champion) Chiyotaikai and sekiwake (junior champion) Tochiazuma rose to 10-3.
They are followed by seven wrestlers at 9-4: yokozuna Musashimaru, ozeki Dejima, sekiwake Kaio, and maegashiras (senior wrestler) Takamisakari, Kyokutenho, Aminishiki and Chiyotenzan.
Wrestling at the Aichi Prefectural (state) Gymnasium in central Japan, Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani of Hawaii, fell into third place after he was pushed out by Chiyotaikai.
In other major bouts, Dejima sank into third place after Hayateumi stepped away from his initial charge, using Dejima's momentum to push him down. Hayateumi is 7-6.
Tochiazuma held No. 11 maegashira Takamisakari by the belt and spun him down, while Kaio, seeking promotion to ozeki, sumo's second-highest rank, grabbed Akinoshima under the arm and threw him down. Kaio rose to 9-4. Akinoshima is 6-7.
No. 13 maegashira Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller from St. Louis, Missouri, pushed down No. 6 maegashira Kaiho. Sentoryu is 7-6 and Kaiho is 6-7.
No. 7 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Tsevengnyam Nyamjav from Mongolia, stepped aside from a charging Tochinohana, grabbing him by the back of the neck and pushing him down to earn his ninth victory against four defeats.
Tochinohana, the top ranked maegashira, is 5-8.
No. 8 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, was defeated by Takanowaka. Takanowaka raised his record to 5-8, while Kyokushuzan fell to 4-9.
In the 26-member juryo division just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 8-ranked Hoshitango (0-13), or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, was defeated by Tamanonanda.
In makushita, the top junior division, No. 2-ranked Asashoyu (6-0), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, defeated Raido.
In sandanme, No. 73-ranked Ryuo (3-5), or Wang Yu from Shanghai, China, defeated Wakakasuga.
In Jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 9-ranked Kaihakusan, or Baeg Yun-gi from South Korea, defeated Yukitsukasa. No. 80-ranked Hakuba, or Mongolian Ariunbayar Unurjargal, lost to Kasamaryu to fall to 5-2.
No. 84-ranked Fudoyama (4-3), or Mongolian Nyamjuv Luvsandorj, downed Ube.
Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the 15-day tournament.
NAGOYA, Japan (AP) - Results of main bouts Friday, the 13th day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium: Results of main sumo bouts
Winners Losers
Kotonishiki (7-6)Aogiyama (5-8)
Aminishiki (9-4) Otsukasa (7-6)
Chiyotenzan (9-4) Takatoriki (8-5)
Kotonowaka (8-5) Tokitsuumi (8-5)
Kotoryu (8-5) Daizen (3-10)
Sentoryu (7-6) Kaiho (6-7)
Kinkaiyama (6-7) Higonoumi (4-9)
Wakanoyama (7-6) Hamanoshima (5-8)
Minatofuji (6-7) Oginishiki (5-8)
Asanowaka (3-10)Shikishima (2-11)
Takanowaka (5-8) Kyokushuzan (4-9)
Kyokutenho (9-4) Tochinohana (5-8)
Toki (5-8) Tamakasuga (2-11)
Tosanoumi (6-7) Takanonami (5-8)
Tochiazuma (10-3) Takamisakari (9-4)
Kaio (9-4) Akinoshima (6-7)
Tochinonada (5-8) Musoyama (3-10)
Hayateumi (7-6) Dejima (9-4)
Akebono (13-0) Miyabiyama (5-8)
Chiyotaikai (10-3) Musashimaru (9-4)
Juryo Division
Kotoiwakuni (7-6) Juzan (4-3)
Wakanojo (7-6) Kitazakura (5-8)
Kitakachidoki (5-8) Tomonohana (5-8)
Kotomitsuki (7-6) Mitoizumi (5-6)
Tochisakae (10-3) Yotsukasa (6-7)
Tamarikido (8-5) Tomikaze (5-8)
Tamanonada (6-7) Hoshitango (0-13)
Terao (6-7) Toyozakura (2-11)
Hamanishiki (9-4) Daishi (10-3)
Tamanokuni (7-6) Jumonji (6-7)
Oikari (7-6) Wakakosho (6-6)
Wakanosato (11-2) Gojoro (8-4)
Junior Divisions:
Makushita
Asashoyu (6-0) Raido
Sandanme
Ryuo (3-5) Wakakasuga
Jonidan
Kaihakusan (5-3) Yukitsukasa
KasamaryuHakuba (5-2)
Fudoyama (4-3) Ube(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament. Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)
Saturday's main bouts:
Shikishima Terao
Daishi Otsukasa
Sentoryu Tokitsuumi
Hamanoshima Aogiyama
Kotonishiki Daizen
Kyokushuzan Kinkaiyama
Kotonowaka Chiyotenzan
Kaiho Aminishiki
Takamisakari Kotoryu
Tochinonada Minatofuji
Higonoumi Asanowaka
Toki Oginishiki
Akinoshima Wakanoyama
Tosanoumi Tochinohana
Takanowaka Tamakasuga
Takatoriki Tochiazuma
Hayateumi Musoyama
Dejima Kyokutenho
Takanonami Miyabiyama
Kaio Musashimaru
Akebono Chiyotaikai
Results in Scoreboard
For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service