Opinion Editorial: The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of BadmintonPlanet.com.
In the midst of a brutal COVID-19 pandemic, much of the world was left struggling to find a way to sustain themselves during these hardships. However for Kento Momota, he believes that these people shouldn’t be alone in their struggle, and recently the former world No.1 men’s single player has donated the prize money he received for winning 11 major badminton tournaments in 2019 towards funding the fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In the statement issued by his agent – UDN Sports, Momota donated 5 million Japanese yen (which is equivalent to approximately USD $33k) alongside a total of 200,000 masks to frontline workers, such as nurses, doctors, and first responders from the Tokyo Medical Association, alleviating a heavy burden from their shoulders.
“I have always been thinking about what can I do to help in these uncertain times. I was hoping to provide some help to medical workers. Therefore, I have made donations through the Tokyo Medical Association. I will continue to work hard and to fulfill my dreams and hopes through badminton,” said Momota.
However, although this is one seemingly charitable act, it highlights a much more widespread topic and debate: the responsibility of athletes in society and whether or not they have the obligation to give back to the world during crises.
Even though he made about 55,750,000 Japanese Yen (around USD $500k) in 2019, he had to turn over 10% of his earnings to the Nippon Badminton Association. In spite of that, Momota still generously made the donations from his own pocket.
Both Momota and Akane Yamaguchi (World No. 3 women’s singles player) have set a record for Japanese badminton players who earned the most prize money through international tournaments. The 22-year-old Yamaguchi made a total of 27,410,000 yen (about USD $254,611.49) last season. Compared to Japanese badminton players twenty years ago, top Japanese badminton players could hardly earn 1 million yen/year (USD $9289/year).
Japanese media said that the average annual salary of Japan’s professional baseball player in 2019 was only 39.85 million yen (about USD $370,166) and Momota’s income in 2019 has exceeded this standard.
The first side to this debate explains that athletes should donate to society because if society has helped them and brought them to the fame and wealth they hold today, it seems quite fair to return the favor. Generally, without the support of society, they never would’ve reached where they are today.
Yet, on the other side of the spectrum, we can see that for badminton players, there’s another layer of complexity related to the contributions made by athletes, especially when it comes to their earnings.
Specifically, if we take a look at Japan we can see that the Nippon Badminton Association mandates all their players to pay 10% of their earnings back to the association, a highly unpopular regulation for players.
Nevertheless, Japan’s World No. 4 women’s singles player Nozomi Okuhara was unhappy that all Japanese players had to pay 10% of the prize money they won in international tournaments to the Nippon Badminton Association. She took to her social media page three days ago to express her frustration.
“Although the money we made was not as much as tennis, I am happy that the prize money for badminton has increased. However, since we have to pay 10% of our earnings to the association, for example, Momota alone would need to pay 5 million yen. Therefore, I think the players have the right to know how the association is going to spend that money. What do you think?” questioned Okuhara.
These types of complaints and situations only further emphasize just how noteworthy Momota’s contribution is. Even after paying 10% of his earnings towards an organization many deem to be unfavorable, he chose to make another hefty donation to society as a whole.
However, this level of altruism is yet again further enhanced when we look at the significant disparity in athlete salaries in badminton compared to other sports. While Momota’s earnings may appear substantial in the context of badminton, they are significantly lower when compared to the salary earned by athletes in more popular sports such as soccer.
So when badminton athletes are forced to pay more money to their organization yet still get paid less as a whole, what does the final verdict come to be?
Should athletes step up when society needs them because society is the only way they get to where they are? Or should they just focus on performing well in their respective sports and make do with the money they earn?
In summary, although Momota’s act of kindness just seems like a simple act on the surface, his donation acts as a spark for a more extensive discussion regarding the societal role of athletes. Although athletes may have influence that stretches beyond sports, it is also important to recognize the difficulties and the complexity they encounter when managing their simultaneous responsibilities as athletes and social influencers.
Together as a world that can applaud Momota’s selflessness, we can also step forward as an international community to pave the way for athletes to make more contributions to society by creating an environment that favors them. This can be through ensuring that they receive the appropriate support and credit from their respective sports organizations and more. But in a world where we must look at everyone individually, we cannot forget what anyone in this situation is going through.
