Sekiwake Miyabiyama will sit out the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, preventing a possible return to the second-highest rank of ozeki, his stable master said Friday.
Sumo elder Musashigawa said doctors told Miyabiyama, who had his shoulder re-examined earlier in the day, he would not be fit to wrestle at the 15-day meet from Jan. 13 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. "He agrees it is best to sit out this tournament and I want him to get himself ready for the spring meet," said Musashigawa.
Miyabiyama, a 24-year-old former amateur star, had surgery on his right shoulder in November after pulling out midway through the autumn tournament in September and sitting out the entire Kyushu meet last month.
His second straight losing record led to demotion to sekiwake, but he would have regained his ozeki status had he notched up 10 wins in January.