Hakuho's retirement leaves sumo facing 'void' at topRetiring yokozuna Hakuho was sumo's greatest-ever champion, with 45 tournament wins to his nameTOKYO: Sumo will struggle to fill the "void" left by the retirement of its greatest-ever champion Hakuho, experts say, with few new stars emerging and public interest in the ancient Japanese sport likely to wane. But the Mongolian-born 36-year-old handed in his retirement notice on Monday after persistent trouble with his right knee, leaving fans wondering how sumo will cope in his absence. His departure leaves just one wrestler, Terunofuji, at sumo's highest rank of yokozuna -- and even his long-term future is unclear. The 29-year-old Terunofuji only reached the yokozuna rank in July, after an injury-plagued career that saw him drop to the second-lowest division at one point. "Sumo is a sport that has always been based around rivalry at the very top of the rankings," he said.

Source: Bangkok Post September 30, 2021 02:15 UTC