Photo/Illutration Maegashira No. 2 Ichinojo, right, defeats Ura, Maegashira No. 3, on the last day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on July 24, chalking up his first career title. (Kazuhiro Nagashima)

Rank-and-file Ichinojo chalked up his first career championship at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on July 24 with a 12-3 record as the other co-leader of the race, Yokozuna Terunofuji, suffered his fourth defeat that day.

Terunofuji and Ichinojo, Maegashira No. 2, who are both from Mongolia, entered the last day of the 15-day meet at the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya, tied at 11-3.

Ichinojo, 29, wrapped up a win against Ura, Maegashira No. 3, to improve his record to 12-3.

On the final bout of the tournament, Terunofuji, 30, was shoved out of the ring by Ozeki Takakeisho (11-4), finishing the race with a 11-4 score.

Ichinojo, looking nervous and not smiling as he clasped the Emperor’s Cup, said during an interview: “I was readying myself for a possible playoff with Terunofuji in a warm-up room. I am so happy my championship was secured before a playoff had to be held.”

Ichinojo debuted in the sport’s elite makuuchi division in 2014. He was once promoted to sekiwake, the third highest rank.

This tournament saw the withdrawal of 177 ranked wrestlers from 12 stables, or nearly 30 percent of the total of wrestlers, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus.

All wrestlers in a stable where a new case was confirmed are obliged to drop out from a meet in accordance with rules set by the Japan Sumo Association.

Even JSA chairman Hakkaku had to relegate his task of handing the Emperor’s Cup to another sumo senior official as a member of his stable tested positive for COVID-19.

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