Yokozuna Kakuryu and Hakuho had mixed results on Day 1 of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sunday.
Monglian yokozuna Kakuryu, who sat out the previous tournament after pulling out on the first day of the basho, lost to No. 1 maegashira Endo. Ringside judges conferred and confirmed Endo's victory by force out.
In the day's final bout, fellow Mongolian Hakuho, looking to extend his record for Emperor's Cups to 44, managed to latch onto the belt of Daieisho and force the komusubi -- to whom the yokozuna lost in the previous Kyushu tourney in November -- out for the victory.
Earlier, newly promoted sekiwake Asanoyama, the Summer tourney champion in May last year, forced out No. 2 maegashira Mitakeumi, though the maegashira took Asanoyama to the edge of the ring with his initial charge.
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