TOKYO: Olympic medal hope Kento Momota has been kicked off Japan’s badminton team for the Olympics this summer for gambling at an illegal casino, officials said on Sunday.
The Nippon Badminton Association threw the book at the 21-year-old world number two, banning him from competition indefinitely, after an emergency meeting to decide on the player’s fate.
Team-mate Kenichi Tago, also found guilty of placing illegal bets, was removed from the organisation’s official player list for an indefinite period.
Momota became the first Japanese man to win a world championship medal with a bronze in Jakarta last August and had been tipped to challenge for the title in Rio.
The controversy caused a stir last week, with Japanese badminton chief Kinji Zeniya breaking down in tears on television before resolving to deal harshly with the offenders. Government ministers were also quick to condemn the players.
Gambling is largely illegal in Japan. The incident comes after a betting scandal that sent shockwaves through the country’s most popular sport, baseball, just as it is bidding for inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
