An advisory panel of the Japan Sumo Association on Monday unanimously recommended the promotion of wrestler Onosato to yokozuna, the highest rank in professional sumo, following his victory in the summer tournament that ran through Sunday.
Onosato, 24 years old and 191 kilograms, and currently at the second-highest rank of ōzeki, is now set to become the 75th yokozuna. Based on the panel's recommendation, the association's executive board will hold an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday.
The Ishikawa Prefecture-born wrestler, whose real name is Daiki Nakamura, will be the first yokozuna since Hoshoryu, who gained the spot after the January grand tournament, and the first Japanese yokozuna since Kisenosato, who was promoted following the 2017 January tournament. Six of the last seven grand champions were born in Mongolia.
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