Onosato clinches 4th sumo title, moves closer to Yokozuna promotion
Onosato has won the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with two days to spare, assuring his promotion from ozeki to yokozuna, the highest rank in the sport.
On the 13th day of the tournament on Friday, Onosato defeated fellow ozeki Kotozakura to improve to 13-0, clinching his second straight championship.
The Japan Sumo Association's Yokozuna Deliberation Council under internal rules requires consecutive titles or similar results as conditions for an ozeki's promotion.
As the council has never denied promotion to an ozeki winning consecutive tournaments, Onosato is almost certain to ascend to grand champion.
Onosato scored win after win from the first day of the tournament by utilizing his physical advantages. Now, he is about to be promoted to yokozuna only about two years after starting as a professional sumo wrestler.
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