As the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament currently being held in Fukuoka enters its final days, foreign wrestlers have again stolen the spotlight.
Much of the focus of the 15-day event, which began Nov. 13, was on whether yokozuna Asashoryu from Mongolia would win a record seventh straight Emperor's Cup and whether Bulgarian sekiwake Kotooshu would rack up enough wins to reach the rank of ozeki.
But although there is a steady stream of young athletes from Mongolia, Europe and the former Soviet Union eager to enter the world of sumo, the Japan Sumo Association is adamantly sticking to its policy of allowing only one foreigner per stable and opposes opening the door fully to wrestlers from overseas.