IT SHOULD have been one of the great moments of European achievement — a day to rival England’s Ashes victory over Australia. But it ended in disappointment, when the first European to rise to the heights of sumo wrestling narrowly failed to win a championship.

In a thrilling sudden-death play-off, Kotooshu, a 22-year-old Bulgarian who was born Kaloyan Mahlyanov, lost to the reigning champion, Asashoryu, a Mongolian, after dominating the tournament until the last few days. It was Asashoryu’s sixth consecutive victory and confirms what to many Japanese is a troubling trend: the dominance of the ancient sport by young foreigners.

In a sign of changes taking place in sumo, the irrepressible Asashoryu smirked triumphantly after his victory. Traditional etiquette dictates that winners remain calmly and impassively dignified.

“I can’t believe it,” he told a post-match interviewer. “I kept telling myself, ‘You can win the tournament if you do your best’. After losing two [fights early in the tournament], I knew I had to fight to the last bout. I changed my attitude in the final days for the title.”

Mahlyanov, whose fighting name means “Zither of Europe”, was undaunted. “I’m going to work harder after putting this disappointment behind me,” he promised. “I’m determined to do my best in the next tournament.”

Apart from his nationality, Mahlyanov is unusual in another respect: unlike his Mongolian conqueror, and almost all other sumo wrestlers, he does not resemble a giant, fat baby in a colourful nappy. His 6ft 8in, 22st 7lb (203cm, 143kg) body is powerful, but not plump. He lacks the wobbling breasts and vibrating buttocks of the traditional champion.

His assault on the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, moreover, was launched from a relatively low position in the ranks — he went into the tournament as a sekiwake, two ranks below the yokozuna, or grand champion, Asashoryu.

Despite his defeat, Mahlyanov was awarded the tournament’s prize for Fighting Spirit — the quality most admired in sumo wrestlers.

He was born in 1983 and made his debut only three years ago after seeing an amateur tournament in Europe. He arrived in Japan knowing no Japanese and underwent the gruelling apprenticeship and strict hierarchy of the sumo world. He suffered a painful adjustment to the sumo diet — a fish or meat stew called chanko nabe, which builds bulk — and underwent beatings from his masters when his performance failed to reach the expected standard. He is one of thirteen foreign wrestlers in the top divisions, alongside seven Mongolians, two Russians, a South Korean, a Georgian and a blond, baby-faced Estonian named Kaido Hoovelson.

If Asashoryu wins the final tournament of the year in the southern city of Fukuoka in November, he will take the record for the longest run of victories. In the past five years only six tournaments, out of 30, have been won by Japanese.

In 1972 Jesse Kuhaulua, a Hawaiian who fought under the name Takamiyama, became the first foreigner to win a tournament. But foreigners first threatened to dominate the sport in 1993, when Chad Rowan, also Hawaiian, became the first foreign yokozuna. Since then Chinese, Czechs, Tongans and Brazilians have competed.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Afghanistan News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Mandela’s tribe threatens President Zuma
• The French empire strikes back
• Wife of cheating governor exacts a political revenge