TOKYO - Sekiwake Wakatakakage will sit out the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at IG Arena after injuring his left thigh in practice, his stablemaster said Monday.
The wrestler from Fukushima Prefecture won the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament with a 12-3 record in May, securing his promotion back to the sport's third-highest rank.
Wakatakakage had been aiming to take a further step toward the second-highest rank, ozeki, with another strong performance at the 15-day tournament opening Sunday in Nagoya.
The 31-year-old sustained the injury during a training session last Wednesday and has not practiced since then, according to stablemaster Arashio, the former No. 2 maegashira Sokokurai.
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