Asian Games: former badminton world No 1 Kento Momota of Japan pulls out through injury
- The 29-year-old is still dealing with injuries sustained in a car crash three years ago that killed his driver
- The now world No 48 is replaced by No 30 Koki Watanabe for men’s team event in Hangzhou
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Struggling former badminton world No 1 Kento Momota has pulled out of this month’s Asian Games because of injury, the Japanese Olympic Committee said on Friday.
Momota, whose world ranking has tumbled to 48 after a series of disappointing performances and injuries, had been chosen to play for Japan in the men’s team event at the September 23-October 8 Games in Hangzhou. He has been replaced by world No 30 Koki Watanabe.
Momota’s career has been in free fall since a car crash three years ago left him badly hurt and killed the driver of the vehicle he was travelling in.
He won a record-breaking 11 titles in 2019, losing just six of the 73 matches he played and looking every inch a legend in the making.
Then came the crash, which left him with double vision and required surgery on a bone near his eye.
Momota, who turned 29 on Friday, lost in the last 16 of the men’s singles competition at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta but went on to win bronze in the men’s team event.
He lost to Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in the first round of the Australian Open at his latest tournament appearance last month.
He also lost in the first round to Watanabe at the Japan Open in Tokyo in July. Momota did not play at last month’s world championships in Copenhagen.
