Former ozeki Terunofuji said Monday that his remarkable comeback and subsequent victory at the July Grand Sumo Tournament would not have been possible without the help of a determined cadre of supporters.
The 28-year-old Mongolian paid his respects to those who helped him return to the sport's top makuuchi division for the first time in 14 tournaments, remarking in an online news conference that the road to winning his second title was in stark contrast to his first in 2015.
"It's totally different," Terunofuji said. "This was the result of the support from people around me.