Kotomitsuki Keiji

Sumo wrestler infobox
wrestlername = 琴光喜 啓司 Kotomitsuki Keiji


realname = Keiji Tamiya
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|04|11
placeofbirth = Aichi, Japan
height = height|meters=1.82
weight = convert|154|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
heya = Sadogatake
rank = Ōzeki
record = 417-278-40
debut = March 1999
highestrank = Ōzeki (July, 2007)
yushos = 1(Makuuchi) 1(Jūryō) 1(Makushita)
prizes = Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (4) Technique (7)
goldstars = 3 (Musashimaru)
update = Sept 2008

Kotomitsuki Keiji (born April 11 1976 as Keiji Tamiya) is a Japanese sumo wrestler from Okazaki City in Aichi Prefecture. His highest rank has been "ōzeki", a rank he achieved upon winning 35 out of 45 bouts in three consecutive tournaments up to July 2007.

Early career

Kotomitsuki had a successful college sumo career, winning 27 amateur national titles while at Nihon University. He made his professional debut in March 1999. Because of his achievements as an amateur, he was allowed to leapfrog the lower divisions. He was promoted to the top "makuuchi" division in May 2000 but missed the entire tournament through injury. On his proper debut three tournaments later, he was runner-up to "yokozuna" Akebono with an outstanding 13-2 record. [cite web | author= Newton, Clyde| title=Akebono king of Kyushu| publisher=Japan Times | language=English | url= http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20001120a2.html| date= 2000-11-20| accessdate=2007-06-25] He was awarded all three special prizes on offer; a rare achievement. He was immediately promoted to "sekiwake".

Kotomitsuki took his first, and so far only, top division title in September 2001, whilst ranked as a "maegashira". He won with a 13-2 record in a tournament that saw only one "ōzeki" and one "yokozuna" complete the entire 15 day tournament. He has since been runner-up in six further tournaments.

Kotmitsuki holds the record for most tournaments spent at "sekiwake" in the modern era. Although he could only manage four wins at his first attempt at "sekiwake", he was ranked there for 22 tournaments in total, including eleven in a row from November 2005 to July 2007. He has been ranked in "sanyaku" in every tournament (with one exception) since March 2004. For most of that time he was consistent rather than spectacular, posting a succession of 8-7 scores.

Promotion to ōzeki

In May 2007 "ōzeki" Tochiazuma retired, and Hakuhō was promoted to "yokozuna". This meant that there were now only three "ōzeki" rather than five, and Kotomitsuki was once again a strong candidate for promotion. [cite web | author= | title=Kotomitsuki tries to erase 'nearly man' tag| publisher=Daily Yomiuri Online | language=English | url= http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20070613TDY23001.htm| date= 2007-06-13| accessdate=2007-06-20] He followed up a 10-5 record in March with a 12-3 score and runner-up honours in May, with the Sumo Association's chairman Kitanoumi indicating that 12 wins in the following tournament would be enough to clinch "ōzeki" promotion. [cite web|url=http://www.sanspo.com/sports/top/sp200707/sp2007071300.html|title=【大相撲】琴光喜５連勝！大関とり場所「１２勝」へ勢い乗る|publisher=Sanspo|date=2007-07-13|accessdate=2008-08-03] In July 2007 Kotomitsuki produced a 13-2 score, defeating west "yokozuna" Hakuhō and once again finishing runner-up, this time to east "yokozuna" Asashōryū.

Kotomitsuki's "ōzeki" promotion, confirmed on 25 July 2007 [cite web | author= | title=Kotomitsuki Promoted to Ozeki| publisher=Japan Sumo Association | language=English | url=http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/kyokai/special/promotion/kotomitsuki.html| date=2007-07-25| accessdate=2007-07-25] , was of special significance to Kotomitsuki and the Sadogatake-beya. Having missed qualifying in 2002 due to a combination of injuries and bad timing, Kotomitsuki was seen by detractors as having insufficient will and being slightly advanced in age to attain "ōzeki" status. For comparison, retired "ōzeki" Tochiazuma (as of May 2007) is Kotomitsuki's junior by 7 months. At the age of 31 years 3 months, Kotomitsuki proved the naysayers wrong, becoming the oldest wrestler to attain the rank in the modern era. [cite web | publisher=Mainichi News |date= 2007-07-25 | title=Sumo wrestler Kotomitsuki promoted to rank of ozeki | url=http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/sports/news/20070725p2a00m0sp012000c.html|accessdate=2007-07-25]

Ōzeki career

Kotomisuki scored a respectable ten wins on his "ōzeki" debut in September 2007, but at the end of 2007 he underwent surgery to remove gallstones. He was not at his best in the 2008 New Year tournament but won his eighth bout on the final day to achieve a "kachi-koshi" or winning score. He produced another unremarkable 8-7 mark in March, but did manage to end his 28 consecutive defeats against his nemesis Asashōryū. [cite web|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ss20080322b1.html|title=Kotomitsuki gets best of Asa|publisher=The Japan Times|date=2008-03-22|accessdate=2008-05-17] In July 2008, in his "home" tournament in Nagoya, he finished as runner-up to Hakuhō on 11-4, the eighth time in his career he has been a tournament runner-up and his first as an "ōzeki". He matched this score in September, establishing himself as the strongest performing "ōzeki," although he finished in third place behind Hakuhō and Ama.

Shortly before the September 2008 tournament Kotomitsuki announced his engagement, to a former hospital worker from Aichi Prefecture who he has known since 1999.

Top division record

References

ee also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*List of active sumo wrestlers

External links

* [http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ozumo_meikan/rikishi_joho/rikishi_114.html Japan Sumo Association biography]