Share

Olympic gymnast incurs $5 000 Pokemon Go bill

Cape Town - Olympic gymnast Kohei Uchimura was shocked to discover he had racked up a $5 000 cell phone bill playing Pokemon Go in Rio.

The 27-year-old Japanese, who won the all-around gold medal at London 2012, incurred the data roaming charges playing the mobile game after arriving in Brazil for the Olympics.

Team-mate Kenzo Shirai was quoted as saying that Uchimura "looked dead at the team meal that day" after finding out about his bill.

Luckily for Uchimura, his phone company has agreed to let him pay a daily flat rate, meaning he will only be charged 3000 yen ($30) per day for his cell phone use while in Rio instead of the 500 000 yen ($5 000) he thought he would have to pay.

"I really lucked out," he told Japan's Kyodo news agency.

Pokemon Go has become hugely popular since launching last month.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE