Top five achievements of Kento Momota

Published at :April 20, 2024 at 9:18 AM

Modified at :April 26, 2024 at 12:13 PM

(Courtesy : BWF Youtube Channel (Screenshot))

Momota has the distinction of being first Japanese player to win the Singapore Open.

Kento Momota, a celebrated figure in badminton with two World Championship gold medals, has shocked the global badminton community by announcing his retirement from international play. The 29-year-old Japanese athlete declared that his final appearance representing Japan would be at the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals held in Chengdu, China.

Momota’s illustrious career includes triumphs as the men’s singles victor at the 2018 BWF World Championships and the 2019 BWF World Championships in Basel.

Kento Momota’s badminton journey began at a young age, starting in the second grade of elementary school.

His ascent in the sport led him to achieve remarkable feats, including becoming the first Japanese men’s singles player to claim the number one spot in the BWF World Rankings on September 27, 2018. Momota was honored with a Guinness World Records certificate for “The most men’s singles badminton titles in a season” due to his outstanding performance in 2019, where he secured 11 titles.

Momota played an instrumental role in Japan’s first-ever Thomas Cup victory in 2014, contributing significantly to his nation’s maiden win in the prestigious event. He has won a total of 16 World Tour titles and finished as the runner-up in 6. Momota’s illustrious record contains more of those, Here are the 5 knit-picked achievements from one of the best Japan has ever seen.

Two-time BWF World Championships Gold medalist

In 2015, Kento Momota achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first Japanese player to secure a medal in the men’s singles category at the BWF World Championships, earning a bronze medal. Three years later, Momota converted his bronze to gold after defeating Shi Yuqi from China in the finals with a score of 21–11, 21–13. In 2019, he reclaimed his World Champion title by defeating Anders Antonsen with a commanding score of 21–9 and 21–3, joining an elite group as only the fourth player to achieve back-to-back titles at the World Championships.

All England Open Winner

In March 2019, Kento Momota won the All England Open by defeating Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the finals in three sets with scores of 21–11, 15–21, 21–15, becoming the first Japanese man to win the All England Open title.

Two-time Asian Championships Winner

On 28 April, Momota won the 2018 Asian Championships held in Wuhan, after defeating Chen Long of China in the finals with scores of 21–17, 21–13. Consecutively, in 2019, Momota won his second Asian Championships title in Wuhan, China, beating the home favorite Shi Yuqi in three games, 12–21, 21–18, 21–8.

BWF World Junior Championships Gold Medalist

Momota became the 2012 Asia Junior Champion after defeating Soong Joo Ven from Malaysia in two straight games, 21–13, 22–20. In the same year, Momota also won the World Junior Championships held in Chiba, Japan. In the final of the World Jr. Championships, Momota defeated Xue Song, winning the match in three sets, 21–17, 19–21, 21–19.

Singapore Open 2015

In 2015, Kento Momota became the first Japanese player to win the Singapore Open. This victory marked Momota’s distinction as the first Japanese athlete to secure a Superseries win in men’s singles, establishing him as the youngest Superseries champion in that category.

On 18 April, Momota announced his retirement from the Japanese national team. The 2024 Thomas Cup will be his last international tournament.

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