Ozeki Asanoyama withdrew from the ongoing November Grand Sumo Tournament with a deltoid muscle injury to his right shoulder, the Japan Sumo Association said Tuesday.
Asanoyama is one of three ozeki at sumo's second-highest rank who had been competing in the 15-day meet at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan after two grand champions, Hakuho and Kakuryu, both pulled out citing injury before the opening day on Sunday.
"He hurt himself when he was struck in the (right) arm in his first bout (against rank-and-filer Kiribayama)," his stablemaster Takasago told reporters in a telephone interview.
