Akebono will sit out
promotion tour

FUKUOKA, Nov. 22 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Akebono, who sat out the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament with a lower back injury, will also skip sumo's winter promotional tour next week, sumo elder Azumazeki said Sunday.

Azumazeki said the Hawaiian-born grand champion still feels some pain when he tries to move. ''The doctor in Tokyo says that it will take a little longer, and we're hoping that Akebono will be able to do his best at the New Year tourney,'' he said.

Akebono hit his lower back hard on the ring's straw ridge in a practice bout just before the Kyushu tourney, which started in Fukuoka on Nov. 8. The 15-day meet ended Sunday with former sekiwake Kotonishiki taking home the Emperor's Cup.

In a separate development Sunday, the Japan Sumo Association recognized the broken ankle suffered by No. 6 maegashira Wakanosato in a loss to komusubi Musoyama on Friday as an occupational injury.

The designation means that Wakanosato will be able to sit out the entire New Year tourney in January without it affecting his position in the rankings for the spring tourney in March.

Wakanosato, who defaulted Saturday's scheduled bout to komusubi Kotonowaka, sat out Sunday and finished the tourney with a 7-7 record.

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