KUALA LUMPUR - The Japanese head of the Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) was ousted at an emergency weekend meeting, the regional body said Monday, but a Japan official said the move has been challenged.
A statement by the Malaysia-based BAC said the organisation unanimously approved a motion of no confidence in Katsuto Momii and dismissed him with immediate effect.
"The members were unanimous in their agreement that Mr Momii failed in his duties as a leader of the Confederation," the statement said, adding the meeting was held Sunday in Bangkok.
"Mr Momii's dismissal from the presidency and all elected and appointed positions in the BAC will take effect immediately."
The statement did not specify the reasons for the move but it comes amid jockeying for the May 18 election of a new president to the Badminton World Federation, also based in Malaysia's capital.
BAC general secretary Surasak Songvarakulpan of Thailand told AFP one reason was that Momii was not willing to voice support for an Asian candidate for presidency of the world federation.
In the election, Badminton Association of Malaysia president Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh is considered a candidate, as is Indonesia's Justian Suhandinata and Denmark's Poul-Erik Hoyer.
The statement by the 12-member BAC said Nadzmi had been named as its acting president.
Shigemitsu Imai, secretary general of the Nippon Badminton Association, the sport's governing body in Japan, said the organisation opposed the dismissal.
"A court in Malaysia will hold a hearing on this case on April 11," he said.
He added that the extraordinary general meeting was scheduled with "about 10 days" notice despite rules requiring a 60-day notice.
Imai said Momii was "in the stage of putting things in order by following established procedures".
"Probably the other side is getting uneasy about it," he said.