TOKYO - Yokozuna Onosato vowed Monday to remain a "strong yokozuna," a day after winning his first Emperor's Cup in a year at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
"A strong yokozuna should post 13, 14 or even a perfect 15 wins. I'll continue training hard toward that goal," Onosato said at a news conference at his Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Onosato, who has been plagued by a left shoulder injury sustained in last November's tourney, captured his sixth title with a 12-3 record by beating Ukrainian ozeki Aonishiki in the final bout of the 15-day tournament.
The grand champion had built a comfortable lead late in the tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan but suffered back-to-back losses from Day 13 that left him tied with Aonishiki heading into the final day's showdown.
"I think I was overthinking at times because I had gone a year without winning a title. But on the final day, I was so focused that even I was surprised," the 26-year-old said.
Competing as the lone yokozuna in the absence of the injured Hoshoryu, Onosato reflected on the experience, saying, "It allowed me to look at sumo from many different perspectives. It was also a valuable learning experience as an athlete."
