Sumo: Yokozuna Hakuho acquires Japanese citizenship english.kyodonews.net

KYODO NEWS - 13 hours ago - 15:30 | Sports, AllTOKYO - Yokozuna Hakuho, a record 42-time sumo grand champion, has acquired Japanese citizenship after relinquishing his Mongolian nationality, an official government publication showed Tuesday.
Although Japanese nationality is not required to compete in sumo, citizenship is necessary if a wrestler wishes to progress to become a sumo elder upon retirement from the raised ring.
"I will try my best not to bring shame upon myself as a Japanese," Hakuho told reporters in front of his Miyagino stable in Tokyo.
He is the only sumo wrestler in history to log at least 1,000 makuuchi wins.
Hakuho is the third foreign yokozuna to attain Japanese citizenship after Akebono and Musashimaru, now Musashigawa stablemaster, both of whom renounced their status as U.S. nationals.