Ichinoya, at 46 Japan's oldest active professional sumo wrestler, has announced he will finally retire, having this week ended his 24-year career with a last bout in the Jonidan division.

The Takasago Stable grappler Ichinoya plans to become a stable manager in retirement.

"I still want to fight, but you've got to come to an end some time," he said.

Kagoshima Prefecture native Ichinoya started sumo while still a student at the national government-run Ryukyu University and first entered the dohyo professionally in 1983. He had 1,002 professional bouts in his career. His highest career rank was as a sandanme, but he attracted attention for being the first graduate of a national university to make it to sumo's upper echelon.

Ichinoya plans to marry in February next year, with his knot-cutting ceremony held in Tokyo the same month.

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