Tokyo: The Japanese badminton team departed for Finland on Tuesday to participate in the Sudirman Cup that will be held in Vantaa, Finland, between 26 September and 3 October 2021.
Kento Momota, who became the Japanese team captain for the first time, was answering questions from Japanese media at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo before the departure. When responding to one of the questions, he revealed the main reason for his failure at the Tokyo Olympics.
“At that time, I wanted to win so bad, and to a certain degree, it narrowed how I looked at things and my opponents,” said Momota reflecting on his mental stage during the Tokyo Games.
“It’s not easy, but I wish I could be mentally soft and flexible without being too tense,” explained Momota.
“I also had a weird sense of pride in which I wish I could throw it away and start everything from 0. I might achieve greater success if I played like a challenger,” said Momota.
Momota also told reporters about his participation at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I want to go if I can, but I haven’t focused on that yet,” added Momota.
About the Sudirman Cup, Momota was urging all his teammates to stand up and fight with him as a team.
“We’ve lost many senior players. I don’t have anyone to rely on anymore, so I hope everyone can carry the team with me, and let’s go,” said Momota.
At Sudirman Cup, Japan was drawn into Group D together with Malaysia, England, and Egypt. The Japanese team will kick off its first tie against Egypt on September 27, and then playing England on September 28, and Malaysia on September 30. Only the top two winners from each group could advance to the knockout stage.
