New komusubi Onosato grabs 1st title at fastest pace after debut

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

May 26,箱根駅伝スタート時間 2024 at 19:15 JST

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Onosato stands on the dohyo after pushing out Abi at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on May 26. (Kotaro Ebara)

New komusubi Onosato clinched his first championship on May 26, setting a record for achieving the feat so quickly after making his professional debut.

Onosato, 23, swiftly pushed sekiwake Abi out of the dohyo to wrap up the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo with a 12-3 record.

“I am glad because I did not imagine winning a championship a year after my professional debut in May last year,” Onosato said during a post-tournament interview.

Onosato captured the Emperor’s Cup in his seventh tournament, the fastest since the championship system was established in 1909. 

He rewrote the record for the fastest pace of 10 tournaments that rank-and-filer Takerufuji set in the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament only in March.

Onosato also became the first wrestler in 67 years to win a tournament immediately after promotion to komusubi.

Onosato, a native of Ishikawa Prefecture, entered the top makuuchi division in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in January.

He was promoted to komusubi--the fourth-highest rank after yokozuna, ozeki and sekiwake--after racking up 11 wins in both of the past two tournaments.

Onosato, who is 192 centimeters tall and weighs 181 kilograms, defeated yokozuna Terunofuji, as well as ozeki Kotozakura and Kirishima, in the latest tournament.

While wrestling at Nippon Sport Science University, Onosato became a student champion and won an amateur championship twice.