Jigjidiin Monkhbat, the father of yokozuna Hakuho, passed away recently. A legendary figure in Mongolian wrestling, the six-time Naadam festival champion was also a silver medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Monkhbat¡¯s son, if anything, has surpassed his legendary father.
Hakuho has 40 top-division titles (and counting) and holds almost every single sumo record of note. His good bloodline, however, wasn¡¯t enough to overcome skepticism when trying to join sumo back in the winter of 2000.
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