Former badminton world champion Kento Momota announced his retirement from playing for the Japanese national team at a press conference in Tokyo. The 29-year-old shared that he would be representing Japan for the last time at the Thomas Cup international team competition in Chengdu, China later this month. Momota made history in 2018 by becoming the first Japanese man to win a world championship and followed it up with another win the following year.
However, a series of recent injuries have made it impossible for Momota to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite this setback, he expressed his intention to continue playing domestically in the national championships and the professional S/J League. Momota’s retirement from the national team marks the end of an era for Japanese badminton, but his legacy as a champion will always be remembered.