Kawasaki's gum chewers told to keep prize money

TOKYO Kawasaki Frontale have been told to keep the $5.5 million prize money the Japanese club offered to return after its players were given a public dressing down for unsporting behaviour following their J-League Cup final defeat.

Japan Football Association (JFA) president Saburo Kawabuchi was among those who slammed Kawasaki for being "bad losers" after their 2-0 defeat by FC Tokyo last week.

Some Frontale players chewed gum as they went up the steps to receive their losers medals with several quickly taking them off on the way down after refusing to shake hands with dignitaries.

The team suspended Defender Yusuke Mori for at least one game for chewing gum, while Kawasaki president Shimpei Takeda took a 10 percent pay cut for three months.

However, J-League chairman Kenji Onitake refused to conduct a witch hunt and insisted there would be no formal punishment handed to the team other than a severe reprimand.

Onitake said the J-League would not accept Kawasaki's offer to return their prize money but ordered them to use it to promote soccer in the community and better educating their players.

"It was a significant gesture from Frontale," he told Wednesday's Japanese media. "What is important is that it does not happen again."

Frontale have been asked to submit a formal report to the J-League on how the money is used.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer. Editing by John O'Brien;

To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)