Rankings Bared For Sumo Meet
A well-rounded field of top flight grapplers will
fill the top select circle of performers in the forthcoming New Year's
Grand Sumo Tournament to open Sunday, January 8, for 15 days at Tokyo's
Kuramae Kokugikan Arena.
Headed by 355-pound Kagamisato, winner of the fall
tourney, the East and West teams, will be headed by three other Grand Champions
(Yokozunas) - Chiyonoyama, 269, Yoshibayama, 325, and Tochinishiki, 240.
The "Banzuke" rankings for the tourney, issued Tuesday
by the Japan Sumo Association, also featured the promotion of Matsunobori
and Wakanohana to the second-ranking Ozeki-class and the placing of Asashio
in the Sekiwake spot for the first time since 1953.
"Banzuke" rankings for top echelon follows:
| East team: | |
| Yokozuna | Kagamisato |
| Haridashi-Yokozuna | Yoshibayama |
| Ozeki | Ouchiyama |
| Haridashi-Ozeki | Wakanohana |
| Sekiwake | Tokitsuyama |
| Komusubi | Hajimayama |
| West team | |
| Yokozuna | Chiyonoyama |
| Haridashi-Yokozuna | Tochinishiki |
| Ozeki | Matsunobori |
| Sekiwake | Asashio |
| Komusubi | Dewanishiki |