Momota became the first Japanese man to win the world championship in 2018 in China and the following year he successfully defended his crown in Switzerland.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I've realized I can no longer get back to the point where I'm aiming to be No. 1 in the world again,\" Momota said in a press conference in Tokyo as quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo News.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I had a very fulfilling career playing for the national team. Now I want to be involved in helping all kinds of people find enjoyment in sports.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In 2019, Momota won a record 11 titles on the BWF Tour and was named the top men's player. However, in January of the following year, after winning the Malaysia Masters title he met with a tragic highway accident in Kuala Lumpur from which he miraculously survived.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former world no.1 made his competitive return in December the same year but his form has not been the same since then. He also made a disappointing group-stage exit at the Tokyo Olympics and has had just two tour wins since the crash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I\u2019m not going to lie, after the accident I\u2019ve asked myself, Why me? \u201cHonestly, it was one difficult time after another. But I didn\u2019t want to blame it on the accident. I wanted to try and beat it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Since the accident in January 2020, there was a lot of hardship,. I tried so many things but I just couldn\u2019t close the emotional, physical gap between who I used to be and who I am. I felt I couldn\u2019t become world No. 1 again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I had eye surgery and I was seeing double. I couldn\u2019t move on the court the way I wanted to, I\u2019d get tired like I never used to. I tried. But I just felt it was no longer possible to keep up with the world\u2019s best players. I couldn\u2019t play badminton the way I wanted to,\" he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Momota's journey, marred by a gambling scandal that cost him his chance to vie for a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, had set his sights on competing in the Paris Olympics, but fell short of qualification due to his ranking.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, the 29-year-old plans to continue to play domestically in the national championships and the professional League.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/04\/two-time-world-champion-kento-momota-announces-retirement-from-international-badminton.jpg", "alt_img": "Two-time world champion Kento Momota announces retirement from international badminton", "alt_title": "(131219) CHINA-GUANGZHOU-BADMINTON-BWF WORLD TOUR FINALS", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Two-time World Champion Kento Momota Announces Retirement From International Badminton On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Two-time World Champion Kento Momota Announces Retirement From International Badminton, Uber Cup Finals: Two-time world champion Kento Momota of Japan announced his retirement from international badminton on Thursday, marking the.", "seo_keywords": "Kento Momota, New Delhi, Uber Cup Finals, Kyodo News, BWF Tour, Malaysia Masters, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo Olympics, Rio Olympics, Paris Olympics", "tag": "", "tagging": "Kento Momota, New Delhi, Uber Cup Finals, Kyodo News, BWF Tour, Malaysia Masters, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo Olympics, Rio Olympics, Paris Olympics", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "two-time-world-champion-kento-momota-announces-retirement-from-international-badminton", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "1266", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2024-04-18 12:14:03", "updated": "2024-04-18 12:14:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Kento Momota, New Delhi, Uber Cup Finals, Kyodo News, BWF Tour, Malaysia Masters, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo Olympics, Rio Olympics, Paris Olympics", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-04-18 12:14:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "badminton", "cnmid": "892465", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/two-time-world-champion-kento-momota-announces-retirement-from-international-badminton-14616" }