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Kento Momota Tests Positive for COVID-19; Team Japan Withdraw from Asian Leg of HSBC BWF World Tour 01/03/21
Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) can confirm that Japan’s men’s singles world No.1 Kento Momota has tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing a mandatory PCR test at Narita Airport in Tokyo en route to Bangkok, Thailand earlier today.
Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) has subsequently withdrawn all its singles and doubles players from the YONEX Thailand Open (12-17 January 2021) and TOYOTA Thailand Open (19-24 January 2021).
The entire Japanese team was due to fly out to Bangkok, Thailand for the badminton tournaments on the evening of 3 January. Momota had gathered with the rest of the national squad a day earlier at the National Training Centre at Kita, Tokyo on 2 January.
Momota tests positive for COVID-19, Japan pulls out of Thailand events
NEW DELHI, Jan 3:
World number one Kento Momota’s long-awaited return to the international circuit got delayed after the Japanese tested positive for COVID-19, prompting his national team to pull out of upcoming events in Thailand, Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Sunday.
Momota was looking forward to make his international comeback in Bangkok, a year after sustaining a career-threatening injury to his eye socket following a car accident on the way to Kuala Lumpur airport just hours after winning the Malaysia Masters last January.
“Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) can confirm that Japan’s men’s singles world No.1 Kento Momota has tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing a mandatory PCR test at Narita Airport in Tokyo en route to Bangkok, Thailand earlier today,” BWF said in a statement.
Thailand's badminton chief pledged that next month's restart tournaments will be the "safest in the world" on Wednesday after heavyweights China withdrew because of coronavirus restrictions. "This bubble competition will be the safest in the world," Patama said.