Badminton

Momota rises again from tragedy

A year ago, Kento Momota's Olympic future was gloomy following a car accident in Kuala Lumpur that killed his driver.

But things have changed, as the Japanese shuttler is now touted the hot favourite for the men's singles gold when the competition gets underway at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza today.

Fully recovering from the injuries of the accident, Momota even reclaimed his World No 1 status.

Momota is the top seed at the Olympics, drawn in Group A with Heo Kwang Hee of South Korea and American Timothy Lam. He will face Lam on Sunday and Kwang Hee on July 28.

Trying to stop Momota from bagging gold will be challengers like Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, China's defending champion Chen Long and Denmark's Viktor Axelsen.

In an interview with Nikkan Sports, the 26-year-old Kagawa native said: "I think everyone is getting really excited about the Olympics. I also can't really stay still as my match draws closer. I certainly start to feel a little anxious as well.

"But I'm looking to go out there and get down to business at my own pace without being influenced by my surroundings.

"I've been practising well, and I remember how special it was when we had the Japan Open.

"I'm looking to have a good tournament. Ultimately, I want to go out there and play without any regrets, regardless of the results."

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