One day after their stunning illegal gambling scandal came to light, Japan's top badminton players Kento Momota and Kenichi Tago apologized for their behavior.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday afternoon, both Momota and Tago, who have admitted to illegal gambling, said that they were imprudent in their actions.
"It's extremely regretful that I've caused such an issue," said 21-year-old Momota, who rose to a career-high No. 2 in the world rankings on Thursday and was thought to be a medal hopeful in the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympics. "I've betrayed all the people, including those who raised me, people in Fukushima Prefecture, and my supporters' association."