Kento Momota crashed out of the Tokyo Olympics after he lost to South Korea’s Heo Kwang-Hee 15-21, 19-21 in the final Group A encounter on Wednesday. The 26-year-old Japanese shuttler, who was considered the favourite for the gold on his home turf, was also the first seed heading into the competition. With only one shuttler qualifying from his group, Heo will now turn his attention towards the elimination rounds.
Momota was one of three seeds to be eliminated at the group stages, the others being Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long and India’s Sai Praneeth. Japan’s other hope, Kanta Tsuneyama, ensured that the hosts would be represented in the knockouts as he defeated Brazil’s Ygor Coelho de Oliveira 21-14, 21-8.
Another big upset was Rio Olympics gold medallist Chen Long getting knocked out from the group stages)
Rio bronze medallist Viktor Axelsen is also through to the knockouts, along with Kevin Cordon (Guatemala), Mark Caljouw (Netherlands), Wang Tzu-wei (Chinese Taipei), Jonatan Christie (Indonesia), Shi Yuqi (China), Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Indonesia), Toby Penty (Great Britain), Anders Antonsen (Denmark), Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia), Pablo Abian (Spain) and Chou Tien-chen (Chinese Taipei).
Momota was appearing in his first Olympics, having been banned for gambling in an illegal casino just months before the 2016 Rio Games.
He was almost forced to retire last year after a car crash that left him with career-threatening injuries.
Momota won a record 11 titles in 2019, losing just six of the 73 matches he played that year.
But his bid for Olympic gold on home soil ended quickly, with Heo sinking his hopes in just 52 minutes.
Momota smiled incredulously as his shots failed to find their range early in the game, but looked ashen-faced when it became clear that he was in serious danger.
He sealed his own fate when he hit the net to end the match.
Momota’s early exit follows similar upsets for high-profile Japanese athletes, including tennis player Osaka and gymnast Kohei Uchimura.
(With AFP inputs)
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