Japan’s former world No. 1 Momota Kento to retire from international badminton

Badminton‘s former world No. 1 Momota Kento announced his international retirement on Thursday at a press conference in Tokyo (18 April).

Momota, 29, 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.

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.

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 car crash in Kuala Lumpur that nearly killed him.

Momota made his return to competition in December, but has not been the same since. The Kagawa Prefecture native failed to get out of the group at his home Games in Tokyo, and has just two tour wins since the career-altering accident.

More to follow…