Kotoōshū Katsunori, born in Bulgaria as Kaloyan Stefanov Mahlyanov, became the first European to win the Prestigious Emperor's Cup at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on May 24 2008, international news agencies reported.

The 25-year old, ranked as ōzeki or 'champion', the second-highest level in the sumo ranking system behind only yokozuna, needed only one win in this weekend's fights to claim the title.

On May 24, he beat his Mongolian opponent Ama, boosting his score to a 13-1 record, enough to claim the title with one bout to spare, International Herald Tribune reported.

"I'm so happy," Reuters quoted a beaming Kotoōshū as saying on Japan's NHK television, "I'm speechless. I did it at last."

Kotoōshū was the seventh foreigner to win an Emperor's Cup. He could be elevated to the highest rank in sumo, yokozuna, if he wins the next major event in Nagoya in July, Reuters said.

Kotoōshū, popular with the Japanese public because of his good looks, has been called the "David Beckham of Sumo".

In a special media statement from the press centre of the presidency, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov sent his congratulations to Kotoōshū, saying that the cup meant, not only a personal achievement, but it underlined the image and authority of Bulgarian sport. Parvanov wished Kotoōshū new victories and the rank of yokozuna, the statement said.