Two-time world champion Kento Momota said Thursday he is retiring from international badminton at age 29, admitting he had never been the same since a serious car crash four years ago.
Momota was once badminton's undisputed king, winning 11 titles in 2019 and losing just six of the 73 matches he played that year.
But in January 2020, the vehicle taking him to Kuala Lumpur Airport crashed hours after he won the Malaysia Masters.