SHAH ALAM – With hundreds of Malaysian fans cheering his name, Japan’s former men’s singles world champion, Kento Momota, staged a dramatic comeback against India’s Srikanth Kidambi to lead his team to the semifinals of the ongoing 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC).
The 29-year-old shuttler, who last competed in the Indonesia Masters last month, dashed India’s hopes of making it into the top four by defeating the world number 24 Srikanth 17-21, 21-9, 22-20 in a thrilling match that lasted for 77 minutes.
Japan defeated India with a score of 3-2 and will face home team Malaysia in the semifinals tomorrow evening.
World number 40 Momota said that his never-give-up mentality was the key to his triumph against his Commonwealth gold medalist opponent.
“It was a game where we were almost losing, but thanks to the support from everyone on Team Japan and the spectators, I think playing without giving up led to the victory.
“Indeed, India was the winner of the previous Thomas Cup (2022), so we knew they were a formidable opponent.
“However, we were able to come together as a team and win. Tomorrow, we have a match against Malaysia, and I hope we can continue to work together and do our best.”
“I think in team competitions, it’s hard to predict the winner, so I hope everyone participating, supporting, and assisting will give their all together,” said Momota when met after his match.
Today’s victory marks Momota’s back-to-back wins in the BATC tournament as he contributed a crucial point in Japan’s 5-0 victory over Singapore, defeating Lau Jun Hui Marcus 21-16, 21-9 in a match lasting 37 minutes on Wednesday.
Previously, Scoop reported that Japan’s coach, Park Joo-bong, viewed Momota’s inclusion as a significant asset for the country’s BATC campaign.
Momota’s journey has been fraught with challenges. A tragic accident in January 2020 left him with severe facial injuries, shattering his hopes for a triumphant performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He was involved in a road accident en route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which caused him to suffer severe injuries, including skin lacerations and bone fractures. – February 16, 2024