Badminton star Momota in fatal car crash

TOKYO: Badminton world number one Kento Momota could be out for two months after being injured in a car crash that killed his driver just hours after he won the Malaysia Masters on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Japanese suffered cuts and bruising in the accident near Kuala Lumpur but is aiming to return at All England Championships on March 11, said Kinji Zeniya, secretary general of Japan’s Badminton Association on Tuesday.

Zeniya told reporters that Momota, who won a record 11 titles last year had "extraordinary enthusiasm towards the Olympics" this year in Tokyo but urged Japan’s home gold medal hope to take time to recuperate fully. Momota has been in hospital since Monday following the crash with a slow-moving lorry as his party were driving to the airport.

The driver was killed at the scene while Momota received cuts to his face and bruising all over his body, Zeniya said, denying previous reports that he had broken his nose and chin.