"I'm glad I was able to win the title," Terunofuji said during a news conference at his Isegahama stable in Tokyo.
Terunofuji, the only yokozuna in the sport, stated on Monday that it took a lot of work to regain the power and conditioning required to win the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
The 32-year-old withdrew from the three previous events due to severe back discomfort resulting from a training injury, but on Sunday he won his ninth top-division title at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Having lost two of his first seven fights, he didn't look like his intimidating best self at the beginning of the 15-day competition. However, he steadied himself and won the title by defeating sekiwake Kotonowaka in a tiebreaking playoff after both fighters completed with 13-2 records.
"I'm glad I was able to win the title," Terunofuji said during a news conference at his Isegahama stable in Tokyo.
"I haven't been able to practice thoroughly, but I've been getting better little by little."
The injury layoff was the most recent in a string of extended absences for the yokozuna, who was born in Mongolia. After missing the first three Emperor's Cup events to recuperate from double knee surgery, he won his eighth one in May.
The recently crowned champion claimed that altering his training regimen was essential to his successful injury recovery.
"I've learned how to handle my body," he stated.
At the Osaka Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in March, he will go for back-to-back titles for the first time since 2021, which would fulfill a long-standing career objective of winning another Emperor's Cup.
"I want to go for double-digit championships at the next event, as I have been saying for a long time. I want to go there as soon as possible," he said.
End//voice7news.tv
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