Ozeki-class Yoshibayama of the East team copped the New Year's Grand Sumo Tournament championship Sunday as he overpowered Kagamisato to finish the 15-day tourney with a perfect record of 15 victories.
    Despite the heavy foot-deep snowfall, an overflowing crowd of more than 20,000 rabid fans, half of whom were standing in the aisles or hanging to the rafters, jammed the circular Kuramae Kokugikan arena in Asakusa, Tokyo, for the tournament's closing day of competition. All eyes were focused on the decisive duel between heretofore undefeated Yoshibayama and one-beaten Kagamisato who stood in his opponent's clear way to the coveted title.
    On scoring the title-clinching triumph, the 340 pound new champion who hails from Sapporo was presented the beautiful silver Emperor's Championship Trophy and pennant by Sumo Association directors Dewanoumi and Tokitsukaze, a big framed colored photo of himself from the Mainichi Newspapers by Enterprise Promotion chief Chuzo Moriguchi, and a huge Pan American World Airways' Championship Trophy by Warren A. Elsener, the airline's Japan and Korea assistant traffic and sales manager.
    Awards for outstanding performances went to Wakanohana, for outstanding fight to Matsunobori and for outstanding skill to Shinobuyama.
    Giving away more than 20 pounds, Yoshibayama grappled furiously with superior-ranking Kagamisato at the outset, then with an amazing display of his strength and might hoisted his 365 pound adversary from and out of the ring as the spectators, thrown into a frenzy, cheered lustily for the new champion.
    The tournament victory with a clean slate practically assured Yoshibayama a promotion to the top-ranking "Yokozuna" (Grand Champion) class.
    In the other main event, Chiyonoyama made Azumafuji bite the dust in a battle of Grand Champions.
Results of other leading matches:
Mitsuneyama over Tochinishiki
Tokitsuyama over Wakanohana
Odachi over Kuninobori
Asashio over Shimizugawa
Orochigata over Nayoroiwa
Shionishiki over Ohikari
Matsunobori over Wakasegawa
Tamanoumi over Onobori