[sumo] Asahimaru Retires

[Jeanne Hedge]

Ms44W Asahimaru has retired.  From ASASHOSAKARI:

28-year-old former All-Japan Amateur champion Asahimaru (Takasago-beya) declared his intai after dropping to 0-3 today, citing deteriorating vision in both eyes as the reason. He had suffered from repeated retina detachment problems going back to 2004, and in order to not endanger his eyesight altogether, has now decided to retire from sumo.

His career began in Haru 2002 as makushita 15 tsukedashi due to his collegiate success and took him up to Ms2w in Hatsu 2003, where he suffered a massive knee injury in a Day 8 juryo visit against Kitazakura which derailed his career for nearly a full year even prior to his eye problems.

A classic case of "what might've been"...  His dampatsu-shiki will be done as part of Takasago-beya's senshuraku party.