Sumo
OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Hawaiian-born yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru forced out lower-ranked Toki on Monday to lead the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with an unblemished 9-0 record. Grand champion Musashimaru
stays ahead of pack at
spring sumo tourneyOzeki (champion) Kaio stayed in the running after the ninth day of the 15-day tourney by extending his record to 8-1. Ozeki Tochiazuma and No. 11 maegashira (senior wrestler) Takanowaka trailed with marks of 7-2.
In the day's final bout at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Musashimaru quickly grabbed Toki's belt and forced the No. 5 maegashira out of the raised ring, dropping him to 6-3. The grand champion was born Fiamalu Penitani of Hawaii.
Kaio fought off an initial drive by the other No. 5 maegashira, Otsukasa, and forced him down with an arm lock. Otsukasa walked away with his third defeat against six victories.
Tochiazuma, who won the New Year's tournament in January and is fighting this time for promotion to the sport's highest rank, pushed out Mongolian No. 3 maegashira Kyokushuzan. Kyokushuzan, born Batabayar Davaa, fell to 1-8.
Takanowaka downed No. 8 maegashira Kaiho with an arm throw, leaving his lower-ranked opponent at 5-4.
In other major bouts, ozeki Musoyama threw No. 2 maegashira Kotonowaka out of the ring for his sixth victory against three defeats. Kotonowaka is 3-6.
Ozeki Chiyotaikai drove out No. 4 maegashira Akinoshima with a series of hand thrusts, improving to 5-4. Akinoshima slipped to 3-6.
Sekiwake (junior champion) Kotomitsuki fought off an attempted throw by Mongolian-born Asashoryu, born Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, and crunched him for the win. Both wrestlers' records stood at 5-4.
In a faceoff between two komusubi (junior champions second class), Takanonami threw out Wakanosato to notch his fifth victory against four defeats. Wakanosato dropped to 4-5.
No. 2 maegashira Kyokutenho - Tsevegynyam Nyamjav of Mongolia - pushed out top-ranked maegashira Tosanoumi for a second victory against seven defeats. Tosanoumi is 3-6.
SPRING SUMO
OSAKA, March 18 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi-division bouts Monday, the ninth day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo-division wrestler):
Won Technique Lost +Kitazakura 6-3 yorikiri Tamarikido 1-8 +Kotoryu 7-2 oshidashi Takatoriki 3-6 Takamisakari 6-3 utchari Oginishiki 3-6 Hamanishiki 5-4 oshidashi Wakanoyama 5-4 Daizen 5-4 okuridashi Oikari 4-5 Takanowaka 7-2 oshidashi Kaiho 5-4 Miyabiyama 5-4 okuridashi Tochisakae 3-6 Tamakasuga 5-4 tsukiotoshi Shimotori 5-4 Tamanoshima 4-5 hatakikomi Dejima 3-6 Aminishiki 6-3 yoritaoshi Tochinonada 3-6 Kyokutenho 2-7 yorikiri Tosanoumi 3-6 Takanonami 5-4 kotenage Wakanosato 4-5 Kotomitsuki 5-4 abisetaoshi Asashoryu 5-4 Kaio 8-1 kotenage Otsukasa 6-3 Musoyama 6-3 yorikiri Kotonowaka 3-6 Chiyotaikai 5-4 oshidashi Akinoshima 3-6 Tochiazuma 7-2 tsukidashi Kyokushuzan 1-8 Musashimaru 9-0 oshidashi Toki 6-3 TUESDAY'S BOUTS
Tamarikido x - x +Kobo +Tochinohana x - x Takatoriki Tochisakae 1 - 2 Takanowaka Tamanoshima 1 - 1 Oginishiki Wakanoyama 4 - 3 Daizen Miyabiyama 0 - 0 Hamanishiki Oikari 2 - 0 Kaiho Takamisakari 0 - 0 Tamakasuga Aminishiki 0 - 0 Shimotori Tochinonada 4 - 13 Dejima Kyokutenho 5 - 5 Kotonowaka Wakanosato 3 - 4 Tosanoumi Takanonami 1 - 3 Asashoryu Tochiazuma 3 - 3 Kotomitsuki Akinoshima 5 - 25 Kaio Musoyama 5 - 4 Toki Kyokushuzan 1 - 5 Chiyotaikai Musashimaru 1 - 0 Otsukasa
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