Rodman's North Korea venture loses sponsor

NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Dennis Rodman's planned basketball exhibition game in North Korea lost a sponsor, the company said.

Paddy Power is an online betting company that backed Rodman's latest trip to the closed country and said Monday it was withdrawing future support due to criticism for being involved with the Pyongyang regime.

Paddy Power said it would remove its name from the project, but would honor its contractual obligations to Rodman.

CNN said Paddy Power had thrown its support behind the proposed game "to prove sport has the power to rise above all issues."