Bringing the load
Takahama takes third straight amateur sumo world title
Posted: Saturday December 05, 1998 11:16 AM
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Australia's Tevita Fahina (right) throws Toshiaki Nakamura of Paraguay down on the ring to win the lightweight class individual bout AP |
TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Middleweight Tatsuro Takahama of Japan shoved
Germany's Eduard Grams out of the ring Saturday to become the first
wrestler to win three straight titles at the amateur Sumo World
Championships.
Bulgarian Svetoslav Binev won the lightweight title match by
throwing down Atsuhiro Ibata of Japan. Binev is the first Bulgarian
ever to win a sumo championship.
Wrestlers from 32 countries gathered at Tokyo's Ryogoku
Kokugikan Sumo Arena for the seventh annual tournament.
Despite weighing in at a light - by sumo standards - 115
kilograms (253 pounds), Takahama has now won 12 individual sumo
titles.
The Nippon University student told Kyodo News he was considering
going pro after he graduates.
"I felt an obligation as the Japanese representative. I'm gad
I wrestled well," Takahama was quoted as saying by Kyodo.
The heavyweight and open weight title matches and the team competition will take place Sunday, the tournament's second and
final day.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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