by A.P.
Kento Momota is one of Japan’s brightest hopes for a gold medal on home soil at the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Games next year.
Badminton world number one Kento Momota won the All-Japan championship on Sunday to complete the first step of his comeback, nearly a year after suffering serious injuries in a car crash.
Momota came from behind to beat world number 11 Kanta Tsuneyama 18-21, 21-12, 21-17 in Tokyo, marking a successful return from the accident that left him fearing his career might be over after fracturing an eye socket.
The win gave Momota his third straight national title, and he immediately turned his thoughts towards making his international comeback at the Thailand Open in January.
“I had the initiative in the first game but then I started to lose my cool once I had the lead,” said Momota.