A
day after making sure of his 15th career title, Mongolian grand champion Hakuho
finished the Nagoya basho with a superhuman feat against ozeki Baruto on
Sunday, making him the only man in the history of sumo to win three consecutive
meets with perfect 15-0 records.

With
a victory over the Estonian man-mountain in a mouthwatering final match of the
15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, Hakuho stretched his personal winning
streak to 47 bouts.

No
one was even close to Hakuho, who set the bar so high that his nearest
challengers finished four losses off the pace.

“I”m
so happy,” said a teary-eyed Hakuho. “I”m thankful to all the fans
who have rooted for me throughout the 15 days. This has been a tough basho
(because of the gambling scandal), but I was able to focus myself mind and
body.”

Hakuho
also achieved a record that eluded Chiyonofuji by one win, despite the former
yokozuna great”s legendary 53-bout win streak. He is the only wrestler to have
won three consecutive meets without a loss since the introduction of the
six-tourney system in 1958.

“This
(record) was never something that I was aiming to achieve. I think I got this
result because of my strong feelings about sumo and the everyday training I put
in. I promise to give my all until the last day of the next basho as
well,” said Hakuho.

Before
the start of the makuuchi bouts, acting Japan Sumo Association chief Hiroyoshi
Murayama apologized once again in a statement to sumo fans over a gambling
scandal rocking the sport and alleged ties to organized crime, with Hakuho and
all of the “sanyaku,” wrestlers in the top three ranks below
yokozuna, bowing in a row.

Mongolian
Harumafuji banged up Bulgarian Kotooshu with a series of well-placed shoves
before blasting his opponent over the straw bales to end his campaign on 10-5
along with his ozeki rival.

Georgia”s
Tochinoshin ended with a meager 6-9 record after toppling Kitataiki (6-9) into
the ringside seats, while fellow komusubi Hakuba of Mongolia twisted down
countryman Tokusegawa (8-7), finishing with an even worse 4-11 mark.

Sekiwake
Kisenosato, who was on the bubble, fell to a losing record when he was
jettisoned into the ringside seats by Mongolian Kakuryu, who improved to 11-4
and won his fifth Technique Prize.

A
total of 10 wrestlers from the top juryo and makuuchi divisions were suspended
for the Nagoya meet and former ozeki Kotomitsuki was banned for life from the
sport for gambling on baseball, which is suspected of being a source of income
for gangsters.

Although
the Emperor”s Cup and other customary awards were not presented to Hakuho in
the “yusho” ceremony, Niigata Prefecture gave him 600 kilograms of
the region”s Koshihikari rice as a consolation prize.

Public
broadcaster NHK decided not to air the meet live and instead showed replays of
matches at the end of each day.

“I
really wanted to receive the Emperor”s Cup as a yokozuna for this country. This
was an unfortunate meet for all of us. But I want to stay positive as I look
toward the next meet (in September),” said Hakuho choking up.