TOKYO - Despite lingering injuries affecting his preparation, ozeki Aonishiki is determined to build on his dramatic July championship and secure promotion to the ultimate rank of yokozuna at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament opening Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
The 22-year-old Ukrainian star clinched his third career Emperor's Cup by winning a three-way championship playoff at Nagoya's IG Arena after starting the meet in need of a double-digit win total to earn promotion back to ozeki from sekiwake.
The victory came at a cost, however, with nagging problems with his left ankle and left big toe preventing him from joining the yokozuna and fellow ozeki in practice bouts during a Yokozuna Deliberation Council training session last week.
But Aonishiki indicated he was not concerned about his condition and would not let it affect his mindset for the 15-day meet.
"I don't have any special feelings about it," he said. "My desire to aim higher hasn't changed."
After resuming training against lower-division wrestlers on Tuesday, the grappling dynamo was in an optimistic mood.
"It was the same at the previous tournament," he said. "If I go to the tournament, I aim to win."
Having only practiced once in the lead-up to July's Nagoya meet, he injured his left big toe on the eighth day of competition, with his stablemaster Ajigawa, the former sekiwake Aminishiki, later revealing he was "not in any condition to compete."
The young star took pride in having battled through the injury to claim the title.
"I was able to show that it's not just about momentum," he said.
During a rollercoaster 2026, Aonishiki has gone from winning a championship as a newly promoted ozeki in January to dropping to sekiwake after two straight losing records while dealing with injury, followed by an immediate return to sumo's second-highest rank with another title-winning performance.
He can write another remarkable chapter by winning the Autumn championship and becoming the first European-born yokozuna, three years into his sumo career.
"Sometimes people say it's still early, but I'm not concerned about that at all," he said. "When I can improve, I will."
