Badminton star Momota announces return to competition

TOKYO: Japan’s badminton world number one Kento Momota on Wednesday announced his long-awaited return to competition as he begins his bid for home glory at the Tokyo Olympics nearly a year after suffering serious injuries in a car crash.

Momota will compete at the All-Japan national championships in Tokyo later this month before playing in the Thailand Open in January following a difficult year in which he feared his career might be over after fracturing an eye socket in the accident.

“I’m nervous but I’m really looking forward to it,” said Momota, who was badly hurt when the vehicle taking him to Kuala Lumpur airport just hours after he won the Malaysia Masters was involved in an accident that killed his driver.

“I’m really looking forward to playing against the best international players after such a long time.”

Momota admitted his “spirit was almost broken” after undergoing surgery on his eye socket in February, which left him with impaired vision.

But the 26-year-old later declared himself “fully recovered” and refocused his sights on gold at the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Games.