4 Japan Basketball Players Banned for One Year for Buying Sex

August 30, 2018

Tokyo- The Japan Basketball Association on Wednesday decided to suspend four male professional players from official matches for one year for misconduct, including buying sex, in Jakarta earlier this month while they were participating in the ongoing Asian Games.

The four are Yuya Nagayoshi, 27, of the Kyoto Hannaryz, Takuya Hashimoto, 23, of the Osaka Evessa, Takuma Sato, 23, of the Shiga Lakestars and Keita Imamura, 22, of the Niigata Albirex BB. The four teams belong the top division of the Japan Professional Basketball League, or B.League.

During the one-year period, the four players, who were members of the Japanese men's basketball national team in the Asian Games in Indonesia, are banned from playing in matches organized by the association and B.League matches.

According to the association, from the night of Aug. 16 to the early morning of Aug. 17, the four players, putting on the official wear of the Japanese delegation of athletes in the Asian Games, visited a nightlife district in Jakarta and went to a hotel with women by paying them money.

The basketball association's decision, made at an extraordinary board meeting, came after the Japanese Olympic Committee stripped the four of their membership of the Japanese delegation as disciplinary action.

"The four players lacked pride and a sense of responsibility as members of the Japanese national team," Yuko Mitsuya, president of the association, said at a press conference after the board meeting.

"They damaged the honor and trust of Japan's entire sport world," she said.

As part of preventive measures, the association will thoroughly conduct code of conduct training for national team members and coaches.

Mitsuya will have her pay cut by 10 pct for three months to take responsibility for the misconduct by the four players. Pay will be reduced by 10 pct for two months for three other executives of the association. Jiji Press