OLYMPICS


 

The two-time world champion says his last duty for the national team will be the 27 April-5 May Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, People's Republic of China.

Brutally honest as he announced his decision to retire from international badminton on Thursday (18 April), Momota Kento admitted he’s asked himself the question over and over since the career-altering car crash that nearly killed him in January 2020.
What if?

“I’m not going to lie, after the accident I’ve asked myself, ‘Why me?’” the former men’s world No. 1 told a press conference in Tokyo, where he said his last tournament for the Japan national team will be the 27 April-5 May Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, People's Republic of China.

“Honestly, it was one difficult time after another. But I didn’t want to blame it on the accident. I wanted to try and beat it.

“I had so much support. It’s how I managed to come this far.”
 

Momota Kento: 'I felt I couldn't become world No. 1 again'

The two-time world champion is ranked 52nd overall in the qualifying race for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games - seventh from Japan. Only the top two from a National Olympic Committee qualify for the Games, and the Thomas & Uber Cup is the last event to count towards qualification.

Momota said he will continue to play domestically, stay involved in the game by working with juniors and at a grassroots level. But as far as competing for Japan, the 29-year-old will bow out at the Thomas & Uber Cup.

In 2019, Momota won a record 11 titles on the BWF Tour and was named the top men's player. But the following year in January, he was part of a fatal highway accident in Kuala Lumpur he was fortunate to survive.

Momota made his return to competition that December, but has not been the same since. He failed to get out of the group at his home Olympics in Tokyo, and has had just two tour wins since the crash.

“Since the accident in January 2020, there was a lot of hardship,” said the Kagawa Prefecture native who made his international debut 10 years ago.
“I tried so many things but I just couldn’t close the emotional, physical gap between who I used to be and who I am. I felt I couldn’t become world No. 1 again.

“I had eye surgery and I was seeing double. I couldn’t move on the court the way I wanted to, I’d get tired like I never used to. I tried. But I just felt it was no longer possible to keep up with the world’s best players.
“I couldn’t play badminton the way I wanted to.”

Momota didn’t shed a single tear as he spoke for an hour in his usual, controlled tone - the way he used to offer opponents a masterclass at the peak of his powers.

In fact, Momota mostly smiled as he took every question - and that’s the way he prefers to go out.

With a smile, having given it everything he has.

“It would have been easy for me to make this decision on my own, but I had the support of so many people in getting to where I am today. All I know is badminton. In so many ways, I didn’t want to give up for them.

“As a kid, I dreamed of wearing the national team shirt and playing for Japan. Not everyone gets the opportunity I’ve had. I like to think I gave it a proper go in my very own way.

“Ever since I took up badminton, the Olympics has been my dream stage. I was so happy when I made it there. The result was frustrating but even when I’m done internationally, I’ll leave with no regrets.”

Asked what he would like to do now that he’ll have more time on his hands, Momota absolutely smashed it.

“I don’t have a driver’s license. Now that I’ll finally have the time, I hope to finally get one.”