Newly crowned champion Shodai said the reality of winning his first top-division title and securing promotion to ozeki had yet to fully hit him on Monday, a day after the sekiwake triumphed at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
"I know I won the championship because of how everyone around me is reacting, but I feel like I haven't got there yet," Shodai said during an online news conference at his Tokitsukaze stable in Tokyo's Sumida Ward.
"I think it's just now starting to slowly sink in," he said.