Kotomitsuki Keiji
| Kotomitsuki Keiji | |
|---|---|
| 琴光喜 啓司 | |
Kotomitsuki in March 2009
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| Personal information | |
| Born | Keiji Tamiya April 11, 1976 Aichi, Japan |
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 154 kg (340 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Sadogatake |
| University | Nihon University |
| Record | 571-367-50 |
| Debut | March, 1999 |
| Highest rank | Ōzeki (September, 2007) |
| Retired | July, 2010 |
| Championships | 1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jūryō) 1 (Makushita) |
| Special Prizes | Outstanding Performance (2) Fighting Spirit (4) Technique (7) |
| Gold Stars | 3 (Musashimaru) |
| * Up to date as of November 2010. | |
Kotomitsuki Keiji (born April 11, 1976 as Keiji Tamiya) is a former sumo wrestler from Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top makuuchi division in November 2000 and won one yūshō or tournament championship, in September 2001. He was a runner-up in eight other tournaments, and earned thirteen sanshō or special prizes. He is one of five wrestlers in the history of sumo to receive all three sanshō in the same tournament, accomplishing the feat in the November 2000 honbasho. After a record 22 tournaments at sekiwake, he achieved promotion to sumo's second highest rank of ōzeki in July 2007 upon winning 35 out of 45 bouts in three consecutive tournaments. This made him at 31 the oldest man to reach ōzeki in the modern era. He wrestled for Sadogatake stable. On July 4, 2010, he was expelled from professional sumo by the Japan Sumo Association for his involvement in an illegal gambling ring.
Kotomitsuki had an extremely successful college sumo career, winning a record 27 amateur national titles while at Nihon University. He made his professional debut in March 1999. Because of his achievements as an amateur, he was given makushita tsukedashi status and allowed to leapfrog the lower divisions. Initially fighting under the shikona of Kototamiya, adapted from his own surname, he adopted the name of Kotomitsuki upon reaching the jūryō division in November 1999. He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in May 2000 but missed the entire tournament through injury. On his proper debut three tournaments later, he was runner-up to yokozuna Akebono with an outstanding 13-2 record. He was awarded all three special prizes on offer; a rare achievement. He was immediately promoted to sekiwake.
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