Tochinoshin Promoted to 2nd-Highest Sumo Rank

May 30, 2018

Tokyo- The Japan Sumo Association decided on Wednesday to promote Tochinoshin to the second-highest rank of ozeki from sekiwake from the upcoming Nagoya grand sumo tournament in July.

The 30-year-old from Georgia is the 11th ozeki born outside Japan and the first from the Caucasian country.

Tochinoshin achieved the promotion after accumulating 37 wins in the past three grand tournaments.

The Nagoya tournament, set to begin in the central Japan city on July 8, will thus have three yokozuna grand champions and three ozeki wrestlers.

Representatives from the association visited the Kasugano stable, where Tochinoshin belongs to, to convey the promotion.

Meeting them together with stablemaster Kasugano, Tochinoshin said, "I will follow the teachings of my master and devote myself to practice so I can be a model of sumo wrestlers."

To become ozeki, Tochinoshin has fought 60 tournaments since entering the top sumo division of Makuuchi, matching Masuiyama II's record of the slowest-ever promotion to ozeki.

Tochinoshin is the first ozeki in 56 years from the Kasugano stable. Jiji Press