Bulgarian sumo wrestler Kotooshu received a congratulatory message Tuesday from the Bulgarian government on the eve of officially earning promotion to the second-highest rank of ozeki. Vesela Lecheva, head of Bulgaria's State Agency for Youth and Sports, said in the message that Kotooshu's achievement is an "unprecedented success" and encouraged the 22-year-old to "successfully take the final step to the top." Lecheva's message was introduced at a news conference held by the Bulgarian Sumo Federation, which was attended by Kotooshu's parents and Koichiro Fukui, Japanese ambassador to Bulgaria.
