In a press conference held in Tokyo on April 18, former world No. 1 badminton player Momota Kento announced his international retirement. The 29-year-old confirmed that his last tournament representing the Japan national team will be the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu, China from April 27 to May 5.
Momota, a two-time world champion, currently holds the 52nd ranking in the qualifying race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, placing him seventh among Japanese players. Only the top two players from each National Olympic Committee are able to qualify for the Games.
In 2019, Momota had an outstanding season, winning 11 titles on the BWF Tour and earning the title of top men’s player. However, in January of the following year, he was involved in a serious car accident in Kuala Lumpur that nearly took his life. After making a comeback to competition in December, Momota has struggled to regain his previous form. He was unable to advance out of the group stage at his home Games in Tokyo and has only secured two tour victories since the life-changing accident.
Despite his struggles, Momota remains optimistic about his future and is looking forward to continuing his passion for badminton in other ways. More updates on Momota’s retirement are expected to follow in the coming days.