Sumo: Sekiwake Fujinokawa seeks to boost ozeki credentials in Kyushu meet

FUKUOKA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Sekiwake Fujinokawa aims to bolster his credentials for a potential promotion to ozeki status during the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, following an impressive 11-4 record in his sekiwake debut at the previous event. Securing a double-digit win total at this 15-day tournament would further support his case for early promotion next year. The unofficial benchmark for advancing to ozeki is 33 wins across three consecutive tournaments at sekiwake or komusubi.

Upon arriving in Fukuoka for the tournament, the 21-year-old Fujinokawa engaged in practice bouts with all three ozeki contenders -- Kotozakura, Aonishiki, and Kirishima. He openly expressed his desire to face wrestlers ranked above him, stating, "To get stronger, I need to face wrestlers ranked above me. That's why I wanted to practice with the ozeki."

After extensive sparring sessions with Kotozakura, maegashira Kotoshoho and Kotoeiho on Thursday, Fujinokawa seemed satisfied with the results, saying, "Things went well." Starting the year as No. 7 maegashira, the 177-centimeter, 125-kilogram dynamo had rapidly ascended the rankings and secured his sekiwake promotion at the September tournament.

While anticipation builds for an ozeki promotion bid, Fujinokawa remains focused on solidifying his position at sekiwake and downplayed the speculation, saying, "I'll just do my best as usual."