Tokyo: Japanese Badminton star Kento Momota said Thursday he was afraid he would probably never play in an Olympics after a career accident catalog, but felt “positive” about Tokyo’s game.
Momota number one world was banned from the Rio Japan game team in 2016 for illegal gambling, and was almost forced to retire last year after a serious car accident.
But the delay in Tokyo’s unprecedented match because the Coronavirus pandemic gave him time to recover, and he aimed at gold when he finally made an Olympic debut later this month.
“When the match was postponed by one year and then it was in the news that they might be canceled, I think a lot about how I might not be able to play at the Olympics,” Momota told Wartword on Thursday.
“But many people have worked hard to put the competition, and I just tried to block the noise and put everything in the things I could control.” Momota added that his physical fitness had increased “little by little”, and that he “felt very good” went to the tournament.
“I don’t think of negative thoughts – I just think of positive thoughts,” he said.
Momota was unstoppable in 2019, winning a record 11 titles including the world championship, the Asian championship and all the English open.
But he said “his spirits were almost damaged” after a car accident January 20 – hours after he won Malaysia Masters – who killed the vehicle driver took him to the airport.
Momota underwent surgery on a broken eye socket after suffering a double vision in the training, and admitted he was afraid his career was over.
“I think the area where I really grew mentally,” he said.
“I have to deal with a lot of trouble, and the fact that I work hard to get here to give me self-confidence going to the competition.” Momota made his comeback in the Japanese national championship in December after almost a year.
But his hopes of returning to international competitions in Thailand open in January were destroyed when he tested the virus positive at the airport before leaving.
The only appearance was at All England open in March, where he lost in the quarter-finals to Malaysia Lee Zii Jia.
“It’s important for me to feel the feeling you play in a real match,” he said.
“There is no fan in the arena and it feels really lonely.
I can’t concentrate and I can’t be satisfied, so I’ve noticed it in practice.” Momota will look for the challenge of Viktor Axelsen and Anders Denmark Anconsent in Tokyo, with defending champions China Long also in dispute.
Pandemi has forced the cancellation of tournaments around the world, but Momota is not worried about the opponent’s frizzes.
“I have not been able to understand their characteristics and play style, but also the same for them,” he said.
“Everyone is on the same ship, so you really need to focus on playing your own game as well as possible.”