Ulaanbaatar
Terunofuji G.Gan-Erdene grabs first title as Ozeki at May Grand Sumo Tournament
Sports
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On the 15th or the final day of the Grand Sumo Tournament that took place in Tokyo, Japan, ozeki Terunofuji G.Gan-Erdene grabbed his first championship title by defeating fellow ozeki Takakeisho in a playoff, finishing the tournament with 13 wins.
While this is his first time winning the tournament at his current ozeki rank and the 4th championship title that he has won throughout his professional sumo career.
Six Mongolian sumo wrestlers competed in the May Grand Sumo Tournament, with Ichinojo A.Ichinnorov with a record of 9-6, Chiyoshoma G.Munkhsaikhan with 8-7, Tamawashi B.Munkh-Orgil with 7-8, Hoshoryu S.Byambasuren with 7-8, Kiribayama B.Lkhagvasuren with 6-9.
In the final match of the tournament, Takakeisho had defeated Terunofuji to give both wrestlers a record of 12-3, forcing a playoff.
With his latest championship, Terunofuji will enter the Grand Sumo Tournament in July with a chance to become promoted to the highest rank of yokozuna. Winning two championships consecutively is one of the requirements for a sumo wrestler with the ozeki title to climb to the highest rank.
The 29-year-old Mongolian sumo wrestler Terunofuji G.Gan-Erdene won his first-ever title at the 2015 Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, securing his first promotion to ozeki. However, he demoted from the rank and dropped down to a lower division as his knee injuries affected his performances. He earned back his title in about two years by continuously climbing through the rankings.
