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Japan's badminton association apologizes for wrongdoings

TOKYO - Japan's badminton governing body has apologized for a series of scandals and improper conduct involving staff members and published reprimands of its senior officials. But there was no announcement of resignations.

The Nippon Badminton Association held a news conference on Friday, attended by President Sekine Yoshio and others. The body published a summary of a third-party inquiry into the scandals, including embezzlement by a former employee.

The report said the association's council members abandoned their responsibility by agreeing to compensate for the embezzled money, which totaled about 6.8 million yen, or about 45,000 dollars, that was to be used for the national team's camps and other purposes.

The report referred to a case where the association falsely applied for government subsidies of about 230,000 yen, or about 1,500 dollars, at the Japanese Olympic Committee. The report pointed out a lack of management ability as senior officials did not correct the mistake. ...continue reading

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