Former yokozuna Kitanofuji will not appear as an analyst during the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament following heart surgery late last year, broadcaster NHK revealed Sunday.
The 74-year-old Kitanofuji, who won 10 grand sumo tournament championships during his career before training a pair of future yokozuna, had been scheduled to appear on both radio and TV broadcasts starting from Sunday.
According to NHK, he is currently resting comfortably at his home in Tokyo with an eye toward returning to his analyst position at the next grand sumo tournament in March.