KUALA LUMPUR: Former world champion Kento Momota proved that class is permanent when he clinched the Lin Dan Cup — his first tournament since retiring 30 months ago — in Wuhan on Sunday.
The Japanese men’s singles ace had accepted a personal request from Chinese badminton legend Lin Dan to compete in the popular invitational series and took home 200,000 yuan (RM122,255) for his efforts.
Momota, 32, a two-time world champion, was supposed to compete in one of the Lin Dan Cup legs in July last year but had to withdraw due to back surgery.
However, the former world No. 1 finally fulfilled his promise to compete in the tournament and did so in style, securing the title with a hard-fought 13-15, 15-6, 15-13 win over former Chinese national player Wang Zheng Xing.
“Thank you, everyone, for your support — really feeling tired,” said Momota on the Lin Dan Cup’s official website.
The three-day tournament also saw Momota beating Lin Dan Cup regulars Zhou Ze Qi, Liu Ze Qing and Chen Wenjie before overcoming Zheng Xing.
A van crash on his way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Jan 13, 2020, hours after he won the Malaysia Masters, derailed Momota’s career.
Severe eye socket fractures caused double vision, eventually forcing him to announce his retirement from international competition at 30.
Before the crash, Momota had captured 14 of his 16 World Tour titles and held the record for the most international titles won in a calendar year by a men’s singles player, having secured 11 in 2019.
The single-season record was equalled by South Korea’s An Se Young last year.
While his appearance in Wuhan sparked speculation about a potential return to the World Tour, Momota has stated he has no plans for a full-time comeback.
He has not entered any BWF tournaments, and it remains uncertain whether he would consider competing under the proposed 15-point scoring system.