Ozeki Takakeisho is seen seated in a wheelchair after injured his neck in a second-day bout against rank-and-filer Ichinojo at Dophins Arena in Nagoya, on July 5, 2021. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Ozeki Takakeisho has pulled out of the ongoing Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on the third day after sustaining a neck injury requiring a one-month recovery period, sport officials said Tuesday.

       After getting off to a winning start in the fourth of the six annual sumo tournaments in Japan, Takakeisho, who is at sumo's second-highest rank, injured his neck in a second-day bout against rank-and-filer Ichinojo at Dolphins Arena in Nagoya, when he suffered his first loss to make it 1-1.

       Takakeisho forfeits his scheduled bout against komusubi Meisei on Tuesday.

       The 24-year-old Tokiwayama stable wrestler is withdrawing from a meet for the seventh time in his career, and for the first time since he exited midway through the New Year tournament in January.

       Fellow ozeki Asanoyama is not competing as he has been slapped with a six-tournament suspension for violating the Japan Sumo Association's coronavirus safety rules, leaving just two of four ozeki in the 15-day meet.

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