Kaio perseveres,
yokozuna bear down

OSAKA, March 16 (Kyodo) - Ozeki Kaio posted another convincing win to preserve his unbeaten record six days into the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday, while yokozuna pair Takanohana and Musashimaru kept the pressure on the leader with their fifth wins.

Kaio shook off a weak challenge at the face-off with Kotoryu (1-5) and quickly locked onto the arm of the top maegashira, dumping him out of the ring at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium for his sixth straight win of the 15-day tournament.

Musashimaru, Takanohana and ozeki Musoyama are bunched in the pack chasing Kaio along with rank-and-filers Tamanoshima and Otsukasa, all with five wins against one loss.

Local favorite Chiyotenzan proved to be a difficult customer for Takanohana in the day's penultimate bout, but the grand champion, looking for his second straight Emperor's Cup, held steady before ushering the No. 2 maegashira out of the ring.

Musashimaru, meanwhile, used his trademark bear hug to muscle out second-ranked maegashira Hayateumi, who left the ring nursing a 2-4 record.

Musoyama quickly disposed of former ozeki Takanonami (2-4) as he bolted out of his crouch and plowed the third-ranked maegashira over the straw bales for the win.

Musoyama's Musashigawa stablemate Miyabiyama, however, failed to find his killer touch again and allowed komusubi Tochiazuma (2-4) to make a mockery of his higher-ranked opponent, countering from the ring's edge to barge the ozeki out to his fourth loss of the tourney.

Ozeki Dejima, meanwhile, watched his 3-0 winning start evaporate with a third defeat in as many days after losing his footing and allowing third-ranked Kotomitsuki to force him out and improve to 3-3.

At sekiwake, Wakanosato (4-2) lifted out winless komusubi Wakanoyama but newly promoted Tochinonada (3-3) was twisted out by maegashira top gun Kyokutenho (2-4), who posted the only win of the day for the trio of Mongolian wrestlers in the makuuchi division.

Earlier, Mongolia's No. 6 maegashira Asashoryu came out on the losing end of a slapfest with Takanowaka (4-2) after missing the target with his final thrust, slipping to his third loss of the tourney.

Fifth-ranked compatriot Kyokushuzan's disastrous start to the tournament continued as the former komusubi was shoved out to his sixth straight loss by eighth-ranked Higonoumi who moved to 2-4.

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Results for day six

OSAKA, March 16 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Friday, the sixth day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost

Aminishiki 4-2 oshidashi +Toki 4-2
Otsukasa 5-1 yorikiri Daishi 2-4
Minatofuji 2-4 hikiotoshi Terao 4-2
Tamanoshima 5-1 oshidashi Kinkaiyama 3-3
Jumonji 4-2 yorikiri Asanowaka 2-4
Hamanoshima 2-4 okuridashi Kaiho 2-4
Tochinohana 4-2 yorikiri Tamakasuga 4-2
Takatoriki 1-5 hatakikomi Tochisakae 2-4
Akinoshima 3-3 oshidashi Tosanoumi 4-2
Higonoumi 2-4 oshidashi Kyokushuzan 0-6
Tokitsuumi 4-2 shitatenage Kotonowaka 3-3
Takanowaka 4-2 tsukiotoshi Asashoryu 3-3
Wakanosato 4-2 yorikiri Wakanoyama 0-6
Kyokutenho 2-4 tsukiotoshi Tochinonada 3-3
Kaio 6-0 kotenage Kotoryu 1-5
Kotomitsuki 3-3 yorikiri Dejima 3-3
Tochiazuma 2-4 yorikiri Miyabiyama 2-4
Musoyama 5-1 yorikiri Takanonami 2-4
Takanohana 5-1 yorikiri Chiyotenzan 4-2
Musashimaru 5-1 yorikiri Hayateumi 2-4

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Saturday's bouts

+Kitazakura x - x Daishi
Jumonji 0 - 1 Tochinohana
Hamanoshima 6 - 11 Minatofuji
Aminishiki 1 - 1 Asanowaka
Kinkaiyama 1 - 4 Higonoumi
Tosanoumi 0 - 0 Otsukasa
Tamakasuga 4 - 0 Terao
Tamanoshima 0 - 0 Kotonowaka
Asashoryu 0 - 0 Kaiho
Takatoriki 12 - 4 Kyokushuzan
Akinoshima 1 - 0 Tochisakae
Takanonami 0 - 1 Takanowaka
Tochiazuma 0 - 0 Tokitsuumi
Wakanoyama 4 - 2 Tochinonada
Hayateumi 2 - 1 Musoyama
Kaio 3 - 1 Wakanosato
Chiyotenzan 1 - 6 Dejima
Miyabiyama 3 - 3 Kotoryu
Kotomitsuki 1 - 1 Musashimaru
Takanohana 1 - 0 Kyokutenho

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Kaio extends
sole lead at 6-0

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Ozeki (champion) Kaio extended his sole lead at 6-0 Friday, slamming down Kotoryu outside the ring on the sixth day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Kaio is now trailed by five wrestlers with 5-1 records, including yokozunas (grand champions) Takanohana and Hawaii-born Musashimaru and ozeki (champion) Musoyama.

In a brief bout at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in western Japan, Kaio locked his opponent's arms and then sent No. 1 maegashira (senior wrestler) Kotoryu rolling out of the ring with the lift of one arm. Kotoryu is now 1-5.

Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani from Hawaii, easily defeated No. 2 maegashira Hayateumi by pushing him out of the ring.

Yokozuna Takanohana also kept his loss at one, beating Chiyotenzan, who is now 4-2.

Dejima became the second ozeki to fall victim to the young No. 3 maegashira Kotomitsuki, who is now 3-3.

Another ozeki, Miyabiyama, lost to a persistent challenge from komusubi (junior champion second class) Tochiazuma. Tochiazuma prevailed the 3-minute bout to clinch his second win at 2-4.

In other bouts, No. 1 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, survived a close call to push Sekiwake Tochinonada outside the ring. Kyokutenho is now 2-4.

Winless No. 5 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, lost out to No. 8 maegashira Higonoumi to stand at 0-6.

Kyokushuzan's compatriot, No. 6 maegashira Asashoryu, or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, also lost to No. 4 maegashira Takanowaka to stand at 3-3.

In the 26-member juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 9-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, lost to No. 12-ranked Kotokanyu and is now 4-2.

No. 7-ranked Kuniazuma, or Brazilian Vander Ramos, won over No. 10-ranked Kasuganishiki, who went to 2-4.

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 13-ranked Kasugaoh (0-3), or Kim Son-tek from South Korea, extended his losses against No. 15-ranked Minami.

No. 13-ranked Hoshitango (2-1), or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, lost to No. 15-ranked Saigo.

No. 26-ranked Kyukutenzan (2-1), or Mongolian Enkhbat Batmunkha, was defeated by No. 28-ranked Kotoiwakuni.

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Results of main sumo bouts

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Results of main bouts Friday, the sixth day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium:

Winners Losers

Aminishiki (4-2) Toki (juryo) (4-2)
Otsukasa (5-1) Daishi (2-4)
Minatofuji (2-4) Terao (4-2)
Tamanoshima (5-1) Kinkaiyama (3-3)
Jumonji (4-2) Asanowaka (2-4)
Hamanoshima (2-4) Kaiho (2-4)
Tochinohana (4-2) Tamakasuga (4-2)
Takatoriki (1-5) Tochisakae (2-4)
Akinoshima (3-3) Tosanoumi (4-2)
Higonoumi (2-4) Kyokushuzan (0-6)
Tokitsuumi (4-2) Kotonowaka (3-3)
Takanowaka (3-3) Asashoryu (3-3)
Wakanosato (4-2) Wakanoyama (0-6)
Kyokutenho (2-4) Tochinonada (3-3)
Kaio (6-0) Kotoryu (1-5)
Kotomitsuki (3-3) Dejima (3-3)
Tochiazuma (2-4) Miyabiyama (2-4)
Musoyama (5-1) Takanonami (2-4)
Takanohana (5-1) Chiyotenzan (4-2)
Musashimaru (5-1) Hayateumi (2-4)

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Juryo Division

Kotokanyu (4-2) Sentoryu (4-2)
Kuniazuma (2-4) Kasuganishiki (2-4)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Minami Kasugao (0-3)
Saigo Hoshitango (2-1)
Kotoiwakuni Kyokutenzan (2-1)

Sandanme

Iwakiyama Azumao (2-1)
Ryuo (2-1) Shinyu

Jonidan

Suzukawa Daibanjaku (2-1)
Koryu (3-0) Tamadai

Jonokuchi

Bontensho (2-1) Hayatefuji
Daishouma Daitenzan (1-2)

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

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Saturday's main bouts:

Kitazakura (juryo) Daishi
Jumonji Tochinohana
Hamanoshima Minatofuji
Aminishiki Asanowaka
Kinkaiyama Higonoumi
Tosanoumi Otsukasa
Tamakasuga Terao
Tamanoshima Kotonowaka
Asashoryu Kaiho
Takatoriki Kyokushuzan
Akinoshima Tochisakae
Takanonami Takanowaka
Tochiazuma Tokitsuumi
Wakanoyama Tochinonada
Hayateumi Musoyama
Kaio Wakanosato
Chiyotenzan Dejima
Miyabiyama Kotoryu
Kotomitsuki Musashimaru
Takanohana Kyokutenho

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