Table tennis star pulls out of World Cup event
In General Japan News,
Japanese table tennis star Kasumi Ishikawa has been pulled out of a World Cup event in China, amid concerns that organisers were unable to guarantee her safety.
The 19-year-old made national headlines over the summer, after claiming an Olympic silver medal in the women's team event in London.
However, any hopes of seeing the youngster dazzle the crowds at the event in Beijing were dashed after the Japanese Table Tennis Association withdrew the star.
A report from the Kyodo news agency explained that the move came after it became clear that organisers could not guarantee her safety.
The warning comes amid growing tensions between China and Japan, which relate to a series of uninhabited islands located in the East China Sea, with both nations claiming ownership.
Ishikawa's withdrawal follows China's decision to remove its badminton team from an event in Japan for undisclosed reasons.