Newly crowned Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament champion Hoshoryu admitted feeling the pressure Monday as he battled toward his maiden Emperor's Cup and ozeki promotion.
The 24-year-old Mongolian sekiwake claimed the title at Dolphins Arena on Sunday by winning a championship playoff against No. 9 maegashira Hokutofuji after the pair finished the 15-day tournament deadlocked at 12-3.
"After the eighth day, I couldn't sleep at all," Hoshoryu said during a news conference in Nagoya. "Once I hit double-digit wins, the pressure was on."
Hoshoryu advanced to the playoff after winning his final scheduled bout against 19-year-old rookie sensation Hakuoho, who grabbed headlines by bidding to become the first top-division debutant to win a championship in more than a century.
By reaching the key benchmark of 33 wins over three consecutive tournaments as a komusubi or sekiwake, Hoshoryu has effectively guaranteed his promotion to the second-highest rank of ozeki for the next grand tournament.
The Japan Sumo Association is set to formalize his promotion at an extraordinary meeting Wednesday, making him the seventh ozeki from Mongolia following Kirishima's upgrade after the May tournament.
But the nephew of retired Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu said he would not be satisfied until he attained yokozuna status like his legendary uncle.
"This championship isn't the end," Hoshoryu said. "I still haven't reached the top of the rankings. I want to practice as hard as I can with that as my aim."