Champion Chiyonoyama with a record of 13 wins and two defeats won the individual championship at the autumn sumo tournament in Osaka. Grand Champion Haguroyama was apparently headed for the title but two successive defeats in the last two days enabled Chiyonoyama to nose him out.
    That the once popular sumo has lost tremendous ground was shown clearly by the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the fans. The 15 day tourney saw only about one half of the seating capacity of the sumo stadium filled daily.
 

    Yokozuna (Grand Champion) Maedayama of the Japan Sumo Association informed the board of directors Sunday afternoon that he would retire. He gave illness as a reason for his retirement. The Grand Champion had been absent at the arena since the sixth day (October 15) of the autumn "sumo" tournament in Osaka due to "illness." Criticism had been raised against him after he showed up at Korakuen Stadium, Tokyo, to see the Seals - Giants baseball game on October 15 despite his "illness." The Sumo Association had suspended him Saturday.