TOKYO - Former yokozuna Hakuho, who won a record 45 top-division championships, on Friday was named president of the International Sumo Federation, the sport's amateur world governing body.
The Mongolian-born great said he hopes to preserve sumo's traditions and values while expanding its reach to more countries and regions around the world.
"I would like to convey the appeal of sumo to people around the globe and pass it on to children and younger generations," he said in a statement.
Hakuho, 41, left the Japan Sumo Association in June last year and has since promoted projects aimed at spreading the sport internationally.
He has served as an adviser to the federation since September and has advocated for sumo's inclusion in the Olympic Games while supporting tournaments and promotional events in Japan and abroad.
Hakuho succeeds Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda as president of the federation.
