Badminton’s top ranking player Kento Momota got injured in a vehicular incident near Kuala Lumpur that led to the death of his driver after he won the Malaysia Masters last Monday.
Authorities report that the 25-year-old Japanese badminton icon had cuts on his face and a broken nose as the van was headed to the city airport prior to the crash.
“It’s truly tragic, especially involving a badminton icon like Momota,” Malaysian sports minister Syed Saddiq told the media as per a report from Agence France Presse.
The driver was killed on the spot after his vehicle came into a collision against a slow-moving lorry along the highway. Momota’s assistant coach, physiotherapist, and a badminton official who were with Momota at the time, also suffered from slight injuries.
The accident comes as a blow for Momota’s preparations for the Tokyo Olympics this year, a low point after his impressive performance winning over Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.
Saddiq furthered that Momota’s colleagues who suffered leg, hand, head and facial injuries were “recovering well, (and) all four are also in stable condition”.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia said in a statement they were “saddened” by the crash.