Kuala Lumpur (AFP)
World badminton number one Kento Momota, who is aiming for gold at the Tokyo Olympics, was injured early Monday in a traffic accident in Kuala Lumpur that killed his driver, hours after winning the Masters from Malaysia.
25-year-old Japanese star suffers from broken nose and facial cuts while on his way to the airport, police said the driver who transported him died when his vehicle hit a truck who was driving slowly on a highway.
Momota had a prolific 2019, winning a record number of 11 titles, including the World Championships, the Asian Championships and the All England Open. Only one major individual title is missing from its trophy list: Olympic gold.
An assistant coach, a physiotherapist and an official were also slightly injured.
"It's really tragic, especially when it comes to a badminton icon like Momota," said Malaysian Sports Minister Syed Saddiq after visiting the injured at the hospital.
The accident occurred around 4:40 a.m. (8:40 p.m. GMT Sunday), firefighters told AFP, according to which the injured "were able to get out of the van alone with a few scratches".
Pictures show the front of the van embedded in a truck, but the rear appears intact.
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