World No 1 Momota positive for COVID-19

China Daily | Updated: 2021-01-05 09:17

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This handout picture released by Yonex on December 9, 2020 shows Japan's badminton world number one Kento Momota speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, after announcing his long-awaited return to competition, nearly a year after suffering serious injuries in a car crash. [Photo/Agencies]

Kento Momota, the world's top-ranked men's badminton player, has tested positive for COVID-19, causing the Japanese national team to cancel its trip to the Thailand Open.

The two-time reigning world champion, one of Japan's biggest gold-medal hopes at this year's Olympics, returned a positive test result before flying to Bangkok at Tokyo's Narita International Airport with the Japanese team, Japan's state broadcaster NHK reported.

NHK added that the 26-year-old Momota joined his teammates at the Japanese national training center on Saturday after spending New Year's Eve at his hometown in Japan's Kagawa Prefecture.

The whole Japanese national team has canceled its flight to Bangkok after Momota's positive result was confirmed, the NHK said.

Just a year ago, Momota sustained a broken right eye socket in a traffic accident just hours after he won the Malaysia Masters.

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