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Sumo
TOKYO, Jan. 20 (Kyodo) - As snow fell in Tokyo on Saturday, yokozuna Takanohana was forced to put his title celebrations on ice despite boosting his record to a perfect 14-0 with one day left in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. Takanohana’s
title celebrations on ice
at New Year sumoTakanohana, chasing his first Emperor's Cup since autumn 1998, demolished ozeki Dejima in the day's final bout, but not before rival grand champion Musashimaru had kept his championship hopes alive by marching out ozeki Kaio to notch his 13th win.
Again displaying textbook lower-body technique, Takanohana quickly locked onto the belt of struggling Dejima, who stepped back over the straw bails as the Fat Lady was still clearing her throat and left the ring with a losing 6-8 record.
In the day's penultimate match-up, a sellout crowd at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, which included Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, was denied a chance to see Takanohana wrap up his 21st title as Musashimaru easily defused the challenge of 10-4 Kaio.
Bounced back from Friday's loss to sekiwake Wakanosato, Musashimaru intelligently wrapped up Kaio, who soon ran out of space at the edge of the ring with his left arm pointing skywards courtesy of a Pacific Island bear hug.
Ozeki Miyabiyama bundled over fifth-ranked maegashira Tamakasuga (6-8) to even his record at 7-7, but again looked out of his depth at sumo's second-highest rank as he was pushed to the brink by his more agile opponent.
It was better late than never for ozeki Musoyama, who twisted down Wakanosato (9-5) to collect his eighth win, while Tochinonada protected his komusubi rank by bulldozing out No. 4 maegashira Tochiazuma (9-5) to improve to 8-6 in the 15-day meet.
Former ozeki Takanonami will slip further down the rankings at the spring tourney in Osaka as the top-ranked maegashira lost to sixth-ranked Chiyotenzan (8-6) for the first time in nine meetings and slipped to 6-8.
Mongolian No. 8 maegashira Kyokutenho made it double digits in wins as he forced out third-ranked Wakanoyama (8-6), while No. 12 maegashira Asashoryu blasted out seventh-ranked Higonoumi (7-7) to improve to 9-5 in his debut in sumo's "Premier League."
No. 10 maegashira Kyokushuzan became the third of the Mongolian trio to secure a majority of wins as he shoved out 14th-ranked Asanowaka to leave both wrestlers at 8-6 going into Sunday's final day.
TOKYO, Jan. 20 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Saturday, the 14th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler): Results of main bouts on
14th day of New Year sumo
Won Technique Lost
Takatoriki 7-7 hikiotoshi Tamarikido 6-8
Minatofuji 5-9 yoritaoshi +Otsukasa 10-4
Kyokushuzan 8-6 yorikiri Asanowaka 8-6
Tokitsuumi 7-7 hatakikomi Wakakosho 6-8
Asashoryu 9-5 tsukidashi Higonoumi 7-7
Kotoryu 9-5 oshidashi Daishi 6-8
Kinkaiyama 6-8 hikiotoshi Tosanoumi 5-9
Kyokutenho 10-4 yorikiri Wakanoyama 8-6
Akinoshima 6-8 yorikiri Kotonowaka 5-9
Chiyotenzan 8-6 yorikiri Takanonami 6-8
Tochisakae 4-10 tsukiotoshi Hamanoshima 5-9
Takanowaka 4-10 hatakikomi Kaiho 4-10
Tochinonada 8-6 oshidashi Tochiazuma 9-5
Kotomitsuki 4-10 yorikiri Tochinohana 3-11
Musoyama 8-6 uwatenage Wakanosato 9-5
Miyabiyama 7-7 oshitaoshi Tamakasuga 6-8
Musashimaru 13-1 yorikiri Kaio 10-4
Takanohana 14-0 yorikiri Dejima 6-8
Final day bouts
+Aminishiki x - x Wakakosho
Kinkaiyama 3 - 1 Minatofuji
Kyokushuzan 4 - 11 Takatoriki
Higonoumi 7 - 1 Daishi
Asanowaka 3 - 6 Tamakasuga
Akinoshima 0 - 0 Tamarikido
Tokitsuumi 5 - 4 Kaiho
Wakanoyama 0 - 0 Asashoryu
Kotonowaka 5 - 8 Hamanoshima
Tosanoumi 1 - 0 Tochisakae
Takanonami 12 - 8 Tochiazuma
Chiyotenzan 4 - 2 Tochinonada
Takanowaka 0 - 2 Tochinohana
Wakanosato 3 - 1 Kotoryu
Kyokutenho 1 - 2 Musoyama
Kotomitsuki 1 - 0 Miyabiyama
Kaio 12 - 7 Dejima
Takanohana 29 - 15 Musashimaru
TOKYO (AP) - Yokozuna (grand champion) Takanohana remained undefeated and kept his narrow lead Saturday over fellow Yokozuna Musashimaru with just one day left in the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo tournament. Takanohana
takes sumo lead at 14-0,
Musashimaru at 13-1Takanohana came a step closer to clinching his 21st Emperor's Cup and ending a title drought going back to September 1998, when he brushed aside ozeki (champion) Dejima.
With Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in attendance at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena, Takanohana, 14-0, maintained his sole possession of first place by swiftly grabbing Dejima's belt and forcing him out of the ring.
It was the first visit in a year by the imperial couple to the arena.
Hawaiian-born yokozuna Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani, remained in contention for the championship when he defeated ozeki Kaio (10-4). The giant yokozuna kept his body close to his opponent, grabbing his belt with both hands to lift him out of the ring. Musashimaru is 13-1.
In other bouts, all three Mongolian maegashira (senior wrestlers) posted wins.
No. 8 Kyokutenho (10-4), or Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, nailed No. 3 Wakanoyama to the rim of the ring and pushed him out. No. 10-ranked Kyokushuzan (8-6), or Batbayar Davaa from Mongolia, shoved No. 14-ranked Asanowaka out of the ring.
No. 12-ranked Asashoryu (9-5), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, defeated No. 7 maegashira Higonoumi with fierce hand thrusts against his opponent's chest.
No. 1 maegashira Takanonami lost to No. 6-ranked Chiyotenzan, when the lower-ranked smaller wrestler put all his weight against the former ozeki and forced him out.
In other bouts, komusubi (junior champion second class) Tochinonada clinched a win to improve to 8-6, bulldozing out No. 4 maegashira Tochiazuma
Ozeki Musoyama also bulldozed and twisted sekiwake (junior champion) Wakanosato's arms, bringing him down to the clay.
Another ozeki, Miyabiyama, attacked No. 5 maegashira Tamakasuga and drove him out of the ring with hand thrusts to the face.
In the 26-member juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 6-ranked Kuniazuma, or Brazilian Vander Ramos, threw down No. 7 Toyozakura, to improve to 7-7.
In Makushita, the highest junior division, No. 19-ranked Kasugaoh, or Korean Kim Son-tek, beat No. 20-ranked Kimenryu. No. 47-ranked Akasekiryu prevailed over higher-ranked Kotoiwakuni.
In sandanme, the second highest junior division, No. 51-ranked Azumaoh, or Brazilian Yasuto Morita, lost to No. 52-ranked Haguronada.
In jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 30-ranked Takaoh, or Wang Yu from China, defeated No. 25-ranked Tochiakagi while No. 38-ranked Fudoyama, or Mongolian Nyamjuv Luvsandorj, lost to No. 29-ranked Terukaze.
Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the tournament.
TOKYO (AP) - Results of main bouts Saturday, the 14th day of the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena: Results of main sumo bouts
Winners Losers
Takatoriki (7-7) Tamarikido (6-8)
Minatofuji (5-9) Otsukasa (juryo) (10-4)
Kyokushuzan (8-6) Asanowaka (8-6)
Tokitsuumi (7-7) Wakakosho (6-8)
Asashoryu (9-5) Higonoumi (7-7)
Kotoryu (9-5) Daishi (6-8)
Kinkaiyama (6-8) Tosanoumi (5-9)
Kyokutenho (10-4) Wakanoyama (8-6)
Akinoshima (6-8) Kotonowaka (5-9)
Chiyotenzan (8-6) Takanonami (6-8)
Tochisakae (4-10) Hamanoshima (5-9)
Takanowaka (4-10) Kaiho (4-10)
Tochinonada (8-6) Tochiazuma (8-5)
Kotomitsuki (4-10) Tochinohana (3-11)
Musoyama (8-6) Wakanosato (9-5)
Miyabiyama (7-7) Tamakasuga (6-8)
Musashimaru (13-1) Kaio (10-4)
Takanohana (14-0) Dejima (6-8)
Juryo Division
Kuniazuma (7-7) Toyozakura (5-9)
Junior Divisions:
Makushita
Kasugaoh (4-3) Kimenryu
Asasekiryu (5-2) Kotoiwakuni
Sandanme
Haguronada Azumaoh (3-4)
Jonidan
Takaoh (4-3) Tochiakagi
Terukaze Fudoyama (5-2)(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament.
Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)
Sunday's main bouts:
Aminishiki (juryo) Wakakosho
Kinkaiyama Minatofuji
Kyokushuzan Takatoriki
Higonoumi Daishi
Asanowaka Tamakasuga
Akinoshima Tamarikido
Tokitsuumi Kaiho
Wakanoyama Asashoryu
Kotonowaka Hamanoshima
Tosanoumi Tochisakae
Takanonami Tochiazuma
Chiyotenzan Tochinonada
Takanowaka Tochinohana
Wakanosato Kotoryu
Kyokutenho Musoyama
Kotomitsuki Miyabiyama
Kaio Dejima
Takanohana Musashimaru
For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service