Society | Sep 12

Yokozuna Hakuho, Kakuryu to miss Autumn Basho

Yokozuna Hakuho and Kakuryu will both miss the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament starting this weekend after deciding to pull out Friday due to injury concerns.

The 15-day tournament, which opens Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, will be the first in 37 years to commence without a yokozuna when more than one wrestler has occupied the sport's highest rank.

Both Mongolian-born yokozuna withdrew from the previous grand tournament in July. An injured knee forced Hakuho out with three days remaining, while Kakuryu forfeited his second-day bout with an elbow injury and did not return.

With the two 35-year-old grand champions out of the running, Asanoyama and Takakeisho, the two wrestlers at the sport's second-highest rank of ozeki, will be the men to beat.

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