Georgian sumo wrestler Tochinoshin promoted to second-highest rank of sumo

If Tochinoshin wins the following two sumo championships and has more victories than losses in the third one, he will have a chance to become the first European Yokozuna. Photo: Georgian Prime Minister’s press office.
Agenda.ge, 30 May 2018 - 14:02, Tbilisi,Georgia

The Georgian sumo wrestler Levan Gorgadze, known as Tochinoshin, has become the first Georgian and the third European sumo wrestler promoted to the second-highest rank of sumo: Ozeki, with only one step remaining to gain the highest title in the sport - Yokozuna.

The rank Ozeki is translated as champion, while Yokozuna stands for undefeated champion.

Holding the third-ranked title of Sekiwake, Tochinoshin has exhibited a consistent form in the summer calendar, claiming 12 consecutive victories.

He capped the impressive consistency with a defeat of Hakuho, a sumo champion holding the highest title of Yokozuna, last week.

The Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili congratulated Tochinoshin on the victory via his official Twitter page.

Tochinoshin has been victorious in 36 fixtures of the last three sumo competitions, which exceeds the necessary result for attaining the Ozeki title.

Tochinoshin took an oath for the new rank at 6 am today in Tokyo.

During the most recent sumo championship, which was completed on May 26, Tochinoshin became the vice-champion with 13 victories and two losses. During his 13th fight he broke his hand which made it complicated for him to win the competition.

Despite the trauma he continued the competition and won one out of two remaining fights.

The wrestler who won the championship, Yokozuna Kakuryu, won 14 fights, one more than Tochinoshin.

Born in Mtskheta, Georgia, Gorgadze has competed in 71 basho tournaments in sumo since 2006. He has won three Juryo Division Championships and two Makushita Division Championships.

The full statistics of Tochinoshin’s performances, as well as his awards, can be viewed on his profile page here.