is a former

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

player from Japan. He is the son of former badminton player

Yoshiko Yonekura is a retired female badminton player of Japan who won Japanese national and international titles in the late 1970s and the 1980s. She is the mother of badminton player Kenichi Tago. Career In 1980 she won women's singles at the Danish Open, wom ...

. In 2010, he reached the final of the

All England Open Badminton Championships The All England Open Badminton Championships is the world's oldest badminton tournament, held annually in England. With the introduction of the BWF's latest grading system, it was given Super Series status in 2007, upgraded to Super Series Premi ...

. En route to the final he beat three seeded players including

Nguyen Tien Minh Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元）is a different word and surname. By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this s ...

, Chen Jin and Bao Chunlai. In the final, Tago lost to the first seed and reigning World No. 1

Lee Chong Wei Datuk Lee Chong Wei (; born 21 October 1982) is a Malaysian former badminton player. As a singles player, Lee was ranked first worldwide for 349 weeks, including a 199-week streak from 21 August 2008 to 14 June 2012. He is the fifth Mala ...

from Malaysia with a score of 21–19 and 21–19, following an incorrect line call in Lee Chong Wei's favour at matchpoint. In 2012, he competed at the

London 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

in the men's singles event, but did not advance to the knock-out stage after being defeated by

Niluka Karunaratne Niluka Karunaratne ( Sinhala: නිලූක කරුණාරත්න; Tamil: நிலுக கருணாரத்ன) (born 13 February 1985) is a Sri Lankan badminton player who has competed at the Olympics in 2012, 2016 and 2020. His ...

of Sri Lanka with a score of 18–21, 16–21. In 2014, he reached the Indonesia Open final after a shocking win over Lee Chong Wei in the semifinal but could not keep up his good form and went on to lose by straight games in the final to

Jan O. Jorgensen Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

of Denmark. He competed at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.

Achievements

Asian Championships

''Men's singles''

BWF World Junior Championships

''Boys' singles''

Asian Junior Championships

''Boys' singles''

BWF Superseries

The BWF Superseries, launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, was a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries had two level such as Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries featured twelve tournaments around the world, which introduced since 2011, with successful players invited to the Superseries Finals held at the year end. ''Men's singles'' :

BWF Superseries Finals The BWF Super Series Finals (named as BWF Super Series Masters Finals until 2009) was an annual badminton tournament held at the end of the year where the players with the most points from that calendar year's twelve events of the BWF Super Series c ...

tournament : BWF Superseries Premier tournament :

BWF Superseries The BWF Super Series was a series of Grade 2 badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF). It was launched on December 14, 2006 and implemented in 2007. Since 2011, the Super Series includes two levels of tournament, ...

tournament

BWF International Challenge/Series

''Men's singles'' : BWF International Challenge tournament : BWF International Series tournament

Record against selected opponents

Includes results against Olympic quarterfinals, Worlds semifinalists, and Super Series finalists, as well as all Olympic opponents. * Chen Jin 2–3 * Chen Yu 1–1 *

Chen Long Chen Long (; ; born 18 January 1989), is a Chinese former professional badminton player. He is the 2016 Olympic champion, two-time World champion, and an Asian champion. Chen was a former World number 1, occupying the top men's singles ranki ...

4–7 * Bao Chunlai 2–0 *

Lin Dan Lin Dan (born 14 October 1983) is a Chinese former professional badminton player. He is a two-time Olympic champion, five-time World champion, as well as a six-time All England champion. Widely regarded as the greatest badminton player of a ...

1–3 *

Wang Zhengming Wang Zhengming (born 16 February 1990) is a Chinese badminton player from Guangzhou, Guangdong. He was the boys' singles gold medalists at the 2008 Asian and World Junior Championships. Career 2010 A World and Asian Junior Champion two y ...

1–3 *

Du Pengyu Du Pengyu (born 22 January 1988) is a Chinese former badminton player. Du specializes in men's singles where he has distinguished himself as one of China's top ranked male players. His earliest major success came at the 2010 Swiss Open Super Ser ...

2–2 *

Hsieh Yu-hsing Hsieh Yu-hsing (; born July 23, 1983) is a men's singles and mixed doubles international badminton player from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). Hsieh started to play badminton international championships since 2002. At the moment, Hsieh had become the ...

1–0 * Jan Ø. Jørgensen 7–7 *

Joachim Persson Joachim Persson (born 23 May 1983) is a badminton player from Denmark. Career Persson was born in Denmark but his family moved to Germany in his early years. He began to playing badminton in Trittau, Germany together with his parents. As Germa ...

2–0 *

Peter Gade } Peter Høeg Gade (born 14 December 1976 in Aalborg, Denmark)BWF World Ranking
Bwfbadminto ...

1–3 *

Viktor Axelsen Viktor Axelsen (born 4 January 1994) is a Danish badminton player. He is the 2017 and 2022 World champion and the 2020 Olympic champion. He won the 2010 World Junior Championships, beating South Korea's Kang Ji-wook in the final to become the ...

2–2 *

Marc Zwiebler Marc Zwiebler () (born 13 March 1984) is a badminton player from Germany. His highest ranking is 10 in the world. He is a seven-time German national champion in men's singles. He won gold at the 2012 European Championships in Karlskrona over ...

5–0 *

Hu Yun Hu Yun (; born 31 August 1981) is a retired badminton player representing Hong Kong since 2006. He competed at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, and also 2016 Rio Olympics. Born in Wuhan, Hubei, China, Hu started playing badminton in 1988, and pa ...

6–2 *

Parupalli Kashyap Parupalli Kashyap (born 8 September 1986) is an Indian badminton player. A former World No.6, he trains at Gopichand Badminton Academy. He was awarded the Arjuna Award by the Government of India in 2012. He created history by reaching the q ...

3–2 *

Srikanth Kidambi Srikanth Kidambi (born 7 February 1993) is an Indian badminton player. A former world no. 1, Kidambi was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2018. and the Arjuna award in 2015. In 2021, he became the first Indian t ...

2–0 *

Simon Santoso Simon Santoso (born 29 July 1985) is an Indonesian former badminton player. He was two-time Southeast Asian Games men's singles champion winning in 2009 and 2011, also featured in Indonesia team that won the men's team title in 2003, 2007, 2009 ...

2–2 *

Sony Dwi Kuncoro Sony Dwi Kuncoro (born 7 July 1984) is a badminton singles player from Indonesia. He was the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, two-time World Championships medalist (silver–2007, bronze–2009) and three-time Asian Champion (2002, 2003, 2005). He ...

1–7 *

Taufik Hidayat Taufik Hidayat (born 10 August 1981) is an Indonesian retired badminton player. He is a former World, Olympic, Asian Games, and Asian champion, and the youngest world number one in the men's singles. Hidayat has won the Indonesia Open six tim ...

2–4 *

Tommy Sugiarto Tommy Sugiarto (born 31 May 1988) is an Indonesian badminton player who is a singles specialist. He was the bronze medalist at the 2014 World Championships. Sugiarto competed at the 2014 Asian Games and 2016 Summer Olympics. Personal life ...

1–3 *

Sho Sasaki is a Japanese retired badminton player from Tonami Transportation badminton team. He competed at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. He also competed in four Asian Games from 2002 to 2014. Career In 2007 he won the Japanese National Cham ...

3–2 *

Shon Seung-mo Shon Seung-mo (Hangul: 손승모; born 1 July 1980 in Milyang, Gyeongsangnam-do) is a badminton player from South Korea. In 2004, he won the silver medal at the Athens Summer Olympics. Career Olympic Games He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Su ...

0–2 *

Lee Hyun-il Lee Hyun-il ( ko, 이현일; born 17 April 1980) is a former badminton player from South Korea. He is a former World and Asian Championships bronze medalist, and was part of South Korean team that won the 2003 Sudirman Cup as well the gold medal ...

0–1 *

Park Sung-hwan Park Sung-hwan (Hangul: 박성환; Hanja: 朴成煥; born September 4, 1984 in Jeju-do) is a badminton player from South Korea. Park is the top-ranked men's singles player in South Korea and has succeeded at an international level, winning indiv ...

0–3 *

Park Tae-sang Park Tae-sang (Hangul: 박태상; born June 20, 1979) is a retired South Korean professional badminton player. After retiring as a badminton player, he decided to become a coach, starting his career with South Korean national team. Career 2004 ...

0–1 *

Shon Wan-ho Son Wan-ho (Hangul: 손완호; or ; born 17 May 1988) is a South Korean badminton player. He reached a career high as world number 1 in the men's singles in May 2017. He competed at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. He plays primarily defensiv ...

2–3 *

2–17 *

Liew Daren Liew Daren (born 6 August 1987) is a Malaysian badminton player. His biggest success to date is having won the 2012 French Open Super Series. He reached a career high ranking of World No.10. He also represented Malaysia competed at the 2010 ...

2–0 *

Wong Choong Hann Wong Choong Hann (; born 17 February 1977) is a former badminton player from Malaysia. He is the first Malaysian to win a medal in the men's singles event at the BWF World Championships. Currently he is the coaching director for the Malaysia n ...

1–4 *

Chong Wei Feng Chong Wei Feng (born 26 May 1987) is a Malaysian retired badminton player. He was drafted into the national team in 2004. His best achievement is reaching the semi-finals of the 2012 and 2013 China Open, where he was defeated by Chen Long on ...

5–1 *

Ronald Susilo Ronald Susilo (; born 6 June 1979) is a Singaporean former badminton player. Susilo was ranked sixth, his highest ranking, in 2004. Susilo started his badminton career at age 19 and had represented Singapore since 2002. He had represented Singa ...

1–0 *

0–1 *

Boonsak Ponsana Boonsak Ponsana ( th, บุญศักดิ์ พลสนะ; ; born 22 February 1982) is a Thai badminton player. His younger sister Salakjit Ponsana is also part of the Thailand badminton team. He got a Bachelor of Laws from Sri Patum. ...

2–1 *

2–1

Gambling scandal

In October 2015, Kenichi Tago was kicked out of Japan's national team by Park Joo-bong because of indiscipline, after he repeatedly missed training sessions and was proving to be a bad influence to other players. On 8 April 2016, Tago admitted to squandering 10 million Japanese yen over a period of 2 years after making over 60 visits to illegal casinos.

Gambling in Japan Most forms of gambling in Japan are generally banned by the Criminal Code chapter 23; however, there are several exceptions, including betting on horse racing and certain motor sports. Public sports, lottery, and toto (football pools) are held u ...

is illegal, with frequent gambling punishable with imprisonment of up to 3 years.

References

External links

*
Profile on Badspi.jp

Profile on Smash-net.tv
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tago, Kenichi 1989 births Living people Sportspeople from Saitama Prefecture Japanese male badminton players Badminton players at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic badminton players of Japan Badminton players at the 2010 Asian Games Badminton players at the 2014 Asian Games Asian Games competitors for Japan 21st-century Japanese people