Kento Momota finished runner-up Sunday in men's singles at the Canada Open badminton tournament, his first international competition after his ban for illegal gambling was lifted in May.
The 22-year-old former world No. 2 lost 22-20, 14-21, 21-14 to compatriot Kanta Tsuneyama in the final of the Level 3 Grand Prix event sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation.
In April 2016, the Nippon Badminton Association suspended Momota indefinitely for gambling at illegal casino establishments in Japan. The 2015 world bronze medalist was left off the national team for last August's Rio de Janeiro Olympics despite being a medal favorite.
In Japan, he made a comeback at a Japan Ranking Circuit tournament held in Saitama in May and won the men's title.