Tokitenkū Yoshiaki
| Tokitenkū Yoshiaki | |
|---|---|
| 時天空 慶晃 | |
 |
|
| Personal information | |
| Born | Altangadasyn Khüchitbaatar September 10, 1979 Töv Province, Mongolia |
| Died |
January 31, 2017 (aged 37) Tokyo, Japan |
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 141 kg (311 lb; 22 st 3 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Tokitsukaze |
| University | Tokyo University of Agriculture |
| Record | 548-545-56 |
| Debut | July 2002 |
| Highest rank | Komusubi (March 2007) |
| Retired | August 2016 |
| Championships | 2 (Jūryō) 1 (Sandanme) 1 (Jonidan) 1 (Jonokuchi) |
| Special Prizes | Technique (1) |
| * Up to date as of February 1, 2017. | |
Tokitenkū Yoshiaki (時天空 慶晃 Tokitenkū Yoshiaki?, born as Altangadasyn Khüchitbaatar, Mongolian: Алтангадасын Хүчитбаатар; September 10, 1979 – January 31, 2017) was a sumo wrestler. He made his professional debut in 2002, reaching the top makuuchi division just two years later. The highest rank he reached was komusubi, which he held on three separate occasions, but never retained for more than one tournament. He earned one special prize, for Technique. He wrestled for the Tokitsukaze stable and acquired Japanese citizenship in 2014. Tokitenkū was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma in 2015 and retired from sumo in 2016 to become a coach; he was the first Mongolian-born wrestler to acquire the right to remain with the Sumo Association as a coach following retirement as an active wrestler. He died in January 2017.
Born in Töv Province, Mongolia, Tokitenkū was the son of a Mongolian wrestler, who reached a rank equivalent to komusubi in Mongolian wrestling. He first came to Japan in March 2000 to study at Tokyo University of Agriculture, having deferred his studies at Mongolian State University of Agriculture. Although he joined the university's sumo club and won the under 100 kg collegiate championships in his first year, he originally intended to return to Mongolia to teach what he had learnt about agricultural administration and food technology in Japan. However, he was inspired to enter professional sumo by watching active wrestlers Asashōryū and Asasekiryū, with whom he had practised judo as a teenager in Ulaanbaatar. He joined Tokitsukaze stable when in his second year of university, just before reaching the upper age limit of 23 set by the Japan Sumo Association. He graduated from the Tokyo University of Agriculture in March 2004.
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