New Delhi: Days before the BWF World Championships, Victor Lai made a special trip to Japan to train with Kento Momota, the two-time world champion whose stellar career was unfortunately derailed by a car accident.
He was widely seen as a successor to Lin Dan at the top of the men’s game. the Japanese player was unable to recapture his previous level Although Momota made a valiant return to the game. His skills on court — fluid movement, crafty net game and defensive play — are still hailed as among of the best in the game. “I am lucky that I got to train with Kento, he is a legend. There’s so much to learn from him, and I got to learn a lot. The way he moves on the court, his techniques are so smooth.
Momota was poised to achieve even greater things on court after winning back-to-back World Championships titles in 2018 and 2019 and becoming World No.1. But a freak accident in Malaysia in January 2020, which killed the driver of the car in which he was travelling, impacted his career.
I was lucky to learn from him and prepare for this tournament,” Lai told HT.
