Source:
REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou
[Saba
Sports News] Following the conclusion of the recent All England Open, where
Kodai Naraoka, ranked fourth in the world, secured a spot for the Paris
Olympics, there is unfortunate news for the sixth-ranked Kento Momota. It is
highly likely that he will not qualify for the Paris Olympics. Reports indicate
that Momota only participated in one BWF World Tour event this season, the
Indonesia Masters in January, where he was eliminated by a player from Chinese
Taipei in the top 16 of the qualifying round. Currently ranked 42nd in the
world and the sixth-ranked Japanese men’s singles player, Momota expressed in a
media interview that he will most likely miss the Paris Olympics but emphasized
that he will not retire because of this setback. Momota stated, “Even if I
cannot participate, my badminton career will continue. I will dedicate myself
to the sport as long as I compete.” It is worth noting that Momota was
banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics due to his involvement in an illegal gambling
scandal. In 2019, he had a major setback when he suffered a serious car
accident after a competition in Malaysia. Although he made a comeback in time
for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, he was unable to progress beyond the group stage
in front of his home fans.