The top Bulgarian sumo wrestler, Kaloyan Mahlyanov, aka Kotooshu, has married his long-time friend Asako Ando on Saint Valentine's Day, February 14. Best man of the happy couple was the President of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation Petar Stoyanov – Vozhda. The newly married couple also had a wedding ceremony at a Christian church.

Kotooshu, known also in Japan as “the Beckham of the sumo world”, announced his engagement to Miss Asako Ando in the middle of last year. She is 30-year-old, three years older than Kotooshu.

They met five years ago in Aichi. When Kotooshu first approached her on the street, Asako, who had no idea he was a sumo wrestler, thought it was odd that a foreign guy had a traditional Japanese hairstyle.

Kotooshu and his beloved visited Bulgarian in the summer of last year when he was awarded Bulgaria's highest order - Stara Planina I medal from President Georgi Parvanov at a special ceremony, in which he was accompanied by his Japanese fiancée.

Mahlyanov currently holds the second highest title in sumo - ozeki.