LONDON :Japan's top sumo wrestlers will roll into London's Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday evening for the start of a five-day tournament to showcase their ancient sport heaving under the weight of tradition, ritual and huge, semi-naked men.

More than 40 elite rikishi (wrestlers) flew in at the weekend with a supporting cast of organisers, referees and sumo elders (managers) ahead of the Grand Sumo Tournament - the first event of its kind held outside Japan since one hosted at the same venue in 1991.

Eleven tons of clay and earth have been hauled into the centre of the hall to create a "dohyo" platform, with a ring marked out on it by bales of rice pounded into shape and into place with beer bottles.

The tournament has been more than a decade in the making, overseen by sumo elder Hakkaku

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