n”>Japanese trailblazer Kento Momota will miss this year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics after being given an indefinite suspension by national badminton bosses for visiting an illegal casino, Kyodo News reported on Monday.

Japanese badminton player Kento Momota attends a news conference after reports on his gambling at an illegal casino in Tokyo, Japan, April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Japanese badminton player Kento Momota attends a news conference after reports on his gambling at an illegal casino in Tokyo, Japan.

The 21-year-old world number two, fellow shuttler Kenichi Tago and other team mates from their domestic Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corp side admitted to wagering at the Tokyo casino, which had since closed after police raids.

Tago, the world number 63, was also given an indefinite suspension by the Nippon Badminton Association and fired by his club on Monday. Momota received a 30-day suspension from his club, Kyodo said.

The director and manager of the team will lose their jobs and the men’s team will not compete in the next six months, it added. Read More

Leave a comment