Egypt’s Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan, the first professional sumo wrestler from the African continent as well as the first from the Arab world, won the novice class yesterday in a tournament clean sweep.

The 20-year-old, known by the ring name Osunaarashi, which translates as Great Sandstorm, won seven bouts with no defeats to dominate the “Jonokuchi” class, the lowest of the six divisions in the Japanese national sport.

Shaalan is expected to move to a higher rank in the next tournament.

Small in number, foreigners are vital members of tradition-bound sumo. Mongolians, led by grand champion Hakuhou, have been a dominant force in the top ranks for years.