<p>Sumo's greatest-ever champion Hakuho has decided to retire over persistent knee trouble, Japanese media reported Monday, leaving a gaping hole at the top of the ancient sport.</p>.<p>The Mongolian-born 36-year-old has won a record 45 tournaments -- 13 more than anyone else in history -- but has been sidelined by injury for most of the year.</p>.<p>He made his only appearance of 2021 at July's Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, going unbeaten to win the title after missing all or part of the previous six competitions.</p>.<p>He and 17 other wrestlers from his stable were forced to miss the next tournament, which ended Sunday, after a coronavirus outbreak.</p>.<p>Local media said that Hakuho has decided to retire because of a right knee injury, bringing the curtain down on his illustrious career after 1,187 wins.</p>.<p>The Japan Sumo Association said it had no comment.</p>.<p>Born Munkhbat Davaajargal and the son of an Olympic silver-medal freestyle wrestler, Hakuho came to Japan at age 15 to enter the sumo world.</p>.<p>He debuted in 2001 and won his first top-division title in May 2006, before reaching the sport's highest rank of yokozuna at age 22 in July 2007.</p>.<p>His battles with fellow Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu -- the pantomime villain to Hakuho's popular good guy -- helped breathe new life into the ancient sport, with attendances booming.</p>.<p>Asashoryu retired in 2010 but Hakuho went from strength to strength, overtaking the legendary Taiho's record of 33 tournament wins in January 2015.</p>.<p>Hakuho outlasted fellow yokozuna Harumafuji, Kakuryu and Kisenosato, but his impending retirement will leave only one wrestler -- Terunofuji -- at sumo's highest rank.</p>.<p>Hakuho acquired Japanese citizenship in September 2019, giving him the right to run his own sumo stable after retirement.</p>.<p>He leaves the sport as sumo's longest-serving yokozuna, having fought his 1,000th bout at the rank in July 2020.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here: </strong></p>
<p>Sumo's greatest-ever champion Hakuho has decided to retire over persistent knee trouble, Japanese media reported Monday, leaving a gaping hole at the top of the ancient sport.</p>.<p>The Mongolian-born 36-year-old has won a record 45 tournaments -- 13 more than anyone else in history -- but has been sidelined by injury for most of the year.</p>.<p>He made his only appearance of 2021 at July's Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, going unbeaten to win the title after missing all or part of the previous six competitions.</p>.<p>He and 17 other wrestlers from his stable were forced to miss the next tournament, which ended Sunday, after a coronavirus outbreak.</p>.<p>Local media said that Hakuho has decided to retire because of a right knee injury, bringing the curtain down on his illustrious career after 1,187 wins.</p>.<p>The Japan Sumo Association said it had no comment.</p>.<p>Born Munkhbat Davaajargal and the son of an Olympic silver-medal freestyle wrestler, Hakuho came to Japan at age 15 to enter the sumo world.</p>.<p>He debuted in 2001 and won his first top-division title in May 2006, before reaching the sport's highest rank of yokozuna at age 22 in July 2007.</p>.<p>His battles with fellow Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu -- the pantomime villain to Hakuho's popular good guy -- helped breathe new life into the ancient sport, with attendances booming.</p>.<p>Asashoryu retired in 2010 but Hakuho went from strength to strength, overtaking the legendary Taiho's record of 33 tournament wins in January 2015.</p>.<p>Hakuho outlasted fellow yokozuna Harumafuji, Kakuryu and Kisenosato, but his impending retirement will leave only one wrestler -- Terunofuji -- at sumo's highest rank.</p>.<p>Hakuho acquired Japanese citizenship in September 2019, giving him the right to run his own sumo stable after retirement.</p>.<p>He leaves the sport as sumo's longest-serving yokozuna, having fought his 1,000th bout at the rank in July 2020.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here: </strong></p>