Sumo grand champion Asashoryu divorced earlier this year, the Mongolian wrestler's manager said Monday on his blog, which also carried a statement from the 28-year-old wrestler saying the decision was made after the pair had "repeated discussions."
Asashoryu, whose real name is Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj, married Gombotseren Tamir, 29, in December 2002 when he held the rank of ozeki, sumo's second-highest.
The couple have a girl and a boy. The mother will retain custody, sources said.
"I missed victory in the spring tournament (in March) and the summer tournament (in May), and want to concentrate on the Nagoya tournament, so I decided to make an announcement (about the divorce) at this time," Asashoryu said.
The two started dating when Asashoryu was 16, before he became a sumo wrestler, and after getting married they lived in Japan.
They reportedly separated a few years ago, and the divorce was finalized around spring.
The 15-day Nagoya tournament begins Sunday.
