Posted at 10:54 a.m., Tuesday, January 15, 2002

Musashimaru drops out of tournament

By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Sports Writer

Hawai'i's Fiamalu Penitani, sumo's ironman, has dropped out of the New Year's Sumo Tournament because of an injury to his left wrist, Kyodo News Service reported today.

The 31-year old Penitani, who competes as yokozuna Musashimaru, was 1-2 in the 15-match tournament in Tokyo before withdrawing.

It is believed he injured the wrist while winning the Kyushu Basho in November. It is only the third time Musashimaru has dropped out of a tournament in his nearly 13-year career. He went 11 years — 838 consecutive matches — before missing his first match because of an injury in January 2000.

This withdrawal leaves the tournament without a grand champion. Takanohana, 30, the only other competitor among the more than 600 active sumotori to hold the yokozuna rank, is absent for the fourth consecutive tournament.

Musashimaru was criticized last week by a member of the Tokozuna Deliberation Council for missing a special exhibition session.