Training news- Maeisei

[Moti Dichne]

Maegashira 5 Meisei was reported as suffering from back pains. Not that bad, it seems, as he has been training these last two days against Makushita rikishi and going 12-3. "It hurts, but I think I can move. Yesterday I was a bit worried so I didn't do that well, but today I was able to do forward moving sumo," he said. After training, he served as the tsuyuharai for Yokozuna Houshouryuu at the Atsuta Shrine dohyo-iri ceremony. With a winning record of 9-6 -for  two bashos in a row, he has risen to the top half of the banzuke. There is about one week until the Nagoya basho begins. "When it's the honbasho, I can't afford to complain about pain. I want to be in the best condition possible while being careful not to make my injury worse through keiko up until then." He is taking great care to prepare, reapplying the tapings during keiko, which come off easily due to the heat and sweat.