Source: Oriental Image/Jiang Xu
[Saba Sports News] Kento Momota, the former world
number one in men’s singles badminton, made his comeback at the 2024 India
Open. Regrettably, he was defeated by Chinese Taipei player Su Li-Yang in the
qualifying round, failing to advance to the main draw. Fans expressed sympathy
for Momota Kento, recognizing the impact of a car accident on his life. In an
interview earlier this year, Momota recalled the unfortunate incident that
occurred four years ago when he was involved in a serious traffic accident
while returning to Japan from Malaysia in January 2020. The accident resulted
in the driver’s death, along with bruises all over his body and a fracture of
the orbital floor of his right eye. It was Momota’s first surgery, and it took
approximately two months for him to recover. Following his comeback, Momota
Kento actively prepared for the Tokyo Olympics; however, he experienced a decline
in form and was ultimately eliminated in the qualifying round. It was a
significant blow for Momota Kento, especially considering his remarkable
achievement of winning 11 champions in a single year in 2019 but missing out on
the Olympic gold medal every four years. Momota expressed that if he fails to
qualify for the Paris Olympics, he will contemplate retirement and focus on
establishing his own gym to train young players and promote the sport of
badminton.