History was made in Japan’s national sport on Monday with the release of the banzuke rankings for the upcoming March tournament in Osaka.
Kazakhstan native Kinbozan’s promotion to the rank of maegashira has resulted in sumo’s top tier gaining its first-ever wrestler from the central Asian nation.
The 25-year-old’s elevation to makuuchi also adds a new country to the top division’s roll call for the first time in almost a decade.