Japanese badminton star Kento Momota dropped a shocking bomb at noon on Thursday (April 18), announcing that he would withdraw from international competitions. The Thomas men’s badminton team competition at the end of this month will be his last international competition.
Momota Kento is currently ranked 52nd in the world. He once ranked No. 1 in the world and won the World Championships. In recent years, he has lost his dominance in the badminton world. He is the seventh men’s singles in Japan, ranked behind Naraoka Kodai and Naraoka Kodai. After Kenta Nishimoto, Kouki Watanabe, Kanta Tsuneyama and others.
Kento Momota, who is about to turn 30, held a press conference in Japan to announce his decision to retire. (AFP)
Momota Kento, who will turn 30 this year, said at a press conference: “I made this decision because I feel that I have reached my physical and mental limits on my way back to the top of the world.”
Kento Momota had an ill-fated fate. After winning his first career Super Series championship at the Singapore Open in 2015, he started to win the championship. However, he was banned for gambling and missed the 2016 Rio Olympics.
After returning from the ban, he was at the peak of his career in 2019. Not only was he crowned the world champion for the second time, he also won 11 championships in a single season, creating the most men’s singles championships in a single season in history.
After a serious car accident in 2020, his condition fluctuated after his return from surgery.
But fate played a huge joke on him. He suffered a serious car accident after finishing the Malaysian Open in early 2020, and his driver died. He also underwent surgery. After returning from surgery, his condition fluctuated, and he was in the first round of the tour many times. The last time he won the championship was the Korean Masters in November 2023.
The last time Momota Kento participated in the Singapore Open was in 2019, when he won the championship as he wished. “Lianhe Zaobao” once published in 2022 andExclusive interview with Kento Momotawhen asked about the happiest memory in his entire career, he did not specify any game victory, but said: “It is no exaggeration to say that my whole life is related to badminton, and I won the most in badminton. The great thing is the warm support of the fans.”
The only Olympic Games Momota participated in was the 2021 Tokyo Olympics held in his home country. However, he failed to make it far and unexpectedly lost to South Korean player Heo Kunxi and missed the group qualifying.
He also missed the chance to compete in the Paris Olympics this year. Talking about his feelings for the Olympics, he said: “I have been yearning for the Olympic stage since I started playing. I am very happy to be able to play. I regret not being able to achieve results in that Olympics. I retired from the national team. I no longer aim for the Olympics, and I have no regrets now.”
Kento Momota will leave the national team after this Thomas Cup, but he will continue to be active in the club and participate in domestic competitions in Japan.
2024-04-18 07:50:40
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