World number 1 badminton player injured in traffic accident (Brussels)

Winner of the Kuala Lumpur Masters on Sunday, Japan’s No. 1 badminton player Kento Momota was involved in a serious traffic accident on Monday morning.

He was going from his hotel to the airport in the Malaysian capital to return to his country. He had to be hospitalized and is in stable condition. The driver of the car was killed in the accident.

“Momota suffered multiple laceration injuries to the face as well as a fracture of the right maxillary sinus and nasal bone,” says the International Badminton Federation (BWF).

Three other passengers were present in the vehicle: two members of the staff of the Japanese team and an official of the BWF. All three are slightly injured and in stable condition.

Momota won a record 11 titles in 2019, including the World Championships, Asian Championships and the All England Open. There is only one major individual title missing from its trophy list: Olympic gold.

The Japanese have withdrawn from the Indonesia Masters which starts on Tuesday.