Japan's badminton world number one Kento Momota on Wednesday announced his long-awaited return to competition, nearly a year after suffering serious injuries in a car crash, as he begins his bid for home glory at the Tokyo Olympics.
Momota will compete at the All-Japan national championships in Tokyo in late December before playing in the Thailand Open early in January, following a difficult year in which he feared his career might be over after fracturing his eye socket in the accident.
"It's been almost a year since my last international tournament," said Momota, who was hurt in January when the vehicle taking him to Kuala Lumpur airport -- just hours after he won the Malaysia Masters -- was involved in an accident that killed his driver.
"First I have the All-Japan championships and I want to concentrate on that, but I'm really looking forward to playing against the best international players.
"I'm nervous but I'm really looking forward to it."
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks