Summer Basho winner Asanoyama will fight as a sekiwake for the first time at next month's New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, the latest rankings released by the Japan Sumo Association on Tuesday showed.

The 25-year-old rising star earned promotion to sumo's third-highest rank after going 11-4 as a new komusubi at last month's Kyushu Basho. While pursuing a second top-division trophy, he kept pace with yokozuna Hakuho until late in the meet.

Asanoyama is the third wrestler from Toyama Prefecture to reach sekiwake and first since Kotogaume in 1986.