Japanese badminton star Kento Momota asked people to pray and support the athletes as the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics officially kicked...
Japanese badminton star Kento Momota asked people to pray and support the athletes as the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics officially kicked off on Friday, still under the cloud of coronavirus.
“We were supposed to welcome people from all over the world, and we would have liked them to learn good things about Japanese culture.... I understand that we all have mixed feelings about this one,” Momota wrote in a sentimental note on social media.
He spoke about the challenges of hosting the Games amid the fear and uncertainty of Covid-19, with fans not allowed to watch. But he added that he appreciates the support because that’s what keeps him moving.
“I also have much appreciation for the people in Fukushima who give me a place to play badminton while they have been coping with the disaster,” he wrote.
The world No 1 is among the host country’s brightest medal hopes at the Tokyo Games, and the delayed event will be a crucial for him as he continues his comeback after fracturing his eye socket in a January 2020 accident.
He suffered double vision and needed surgery on a bone near his eye that delayed his comeback, leaving him fearing his career was over. But the 26-year-old has since...
