Malaysia Beats Japan 3-1, But All Eyes Are On Kento Momota’s Farewell From The International Stage

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Kento Momota looks disappointed to not able to play his farewell match. (Photo: Chengdu 2024)
Kento Momota looks disappointed to not able to play his farewell match. (Photo: Chengdu 2024)

Chengdu: Malaysia’s second men’s doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin won the fourth match of the 2024 Thomas Cup quarter-finals against Akira Koga/Taichi Saito on Thursday, securing Malaysia’s victory over Japan with an overall 3-1 score.

Former World No. 1 Kento Momota, who was warming up on the sidelines, his eyes filled with disappointment, knowing that as the third men’s singles player, he would not have the opportunity to compete in the fifth match.

This also means that fans will no longer see Momota compete on the international stage, as he announced his retirement from international competition after the 2024 Thomas Cup Finals. The Thomas Cup B group finale against Chinese Taipei on May 1 became Momota’s last international match, where he successfully defeated Lee Chia Hao, helping Japan win 5-0.

Two-time world champion and former world number one, Kento Momota is the most accomplished male singles player in the history of Japanese badminton. Momota, who rose to fame at a young age, became Japan’s second men’s singles player at the 2014 Thomas Cup, where at just 19 years old, he played a key role in Japan’s historic first Thomas Cup victory. In addition, Momota also set a remarkable record by winning 11 titles in a single season in 2019.

However, Momota’s career took a downturn in early 2020 when he was involved in a fatal car accident on his way to the airport after winning the Malaysia Masters. Returning to the badminton court after the accident, Momota has struggled to regain his peak form.

At a retirement press conference last month, the 29-year-old Momota admitted that the accident in Malaysia in 2020 was the main reason for his retirement. He said, “The impact of the accident in Malaysia in 2020 was significant. After that, I found it difficult to recover my best form, both physically and in terms of performance, and I experienced many difficult moments.”

“My performance this year hasn’t been very good either, so I’ve decided to retire from international competition and focus on domestic competitions in Japan.”

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