Day 12 Kyujo

[Moti Dichne]

Maegashira 1E Kotoshouhou is kyujo from today.  Following this,  Sadogatake Oyakata spoke to the press and revealed that the reason for the absence was a concussion. After his bout the previous day, Kotoshouhou was examined at the sumo medical clinic and subsequently hospitalized at a facility in Chiba Prefecture, where his heya is located. He is expected to be discharged as early as today but is not planning to return to the basho. During his Day 11 match against Churanoumi, his opponent’s head struck him directly on the chin as the opponent turned into him; He fell backward onto the dohyo and lost via oshitaoshi. His Oyakata described his condition, noting, "He has no memory of the bout itself." Although he was entering the final stretch of the tournament with a 5-6 record, the Oyakata prioritized his recovery, stating, "It’s a shame, but I need him to have a long future in sumo, so we can't take risks." Regarding the decision to withdraw, he said, "I didn't think he would grasp it if I told him yesterday, so I sent him a message via email today." There were also concerns about the condition of his knees following the fall, but the Oyakata explained, "He's fine. His body is flexible, which helps" He added, "We'll get him healed up quickly and have him give it his all again," looking ahead to his eventual return.