Badminton world number one Kento Momota was injured in an accident in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, hours after he won the Malaysia Masters tournament. His driver was killed at the scene.
The 25-year-old suffered injuries to face after the van carrying him to the airport collided with a lorry on a highway around 4.40 early morning. Accompanying him was an assistant coach, physiotherapist and a badminton official who suffered minor injuries in the face, head, hand and leg.
Reports said that the Japanese badminton star and the others who suffered injuries in the accident were recovering well, and are in stable condition.
Malaysian sports minister Syed Saddiq visited Momota and the others in a hospital south of Kuala Lumpur, calling the incident “tragic”. “It's truly tragic, especially involving a badminton icon like Momota.”
The Badminton Association of Malaysia said in a statement they were saddened by the crash.
It was only hours ago that Momota had won the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament on Sunday, beating former world number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final. The Japanese cruised to a 24-22, 21-11 win in a match that lasted 54 minutes.
Momota won a record 11 titles, including the World Championships, Asia Championships and All England Open, in 2019.
(With inputs from agencies)
