Badminton world number one Kento Momota was injured in a car crash near Kuala Lumpur on Monday hours after he won the Malaysia Masters. Kento suffered broken nose and cuts to his face when the van carrying him to the city airport crashed early in the morning. The driver was killed on the spot after the vehicle collided with a slow-moving lorry on a highway. An assistant coach, physiotherapist and badminton official also suffered minor injuries.
"It's truly tragic, especially involving a badminton icon like Momota," Malaysian sports minister Syed Saddiq told reporters, after visiting the injured in hospital south of the capital. But he added those hurt were "recovering well, (and) all four are also in stable condition". The others hurt suffered facial, leg, hand and head injuries, according to the police. The Badminton Association of Malaysia said in a statement they were "saddened" by the crash.
The accident happened around 4.40 am and 10 firefighters rushed to the scene, senior fire and rescue department officials Norazam Khamis revealed. The injured "were able to walk out of the van by themselves with some scratches", he added. Pictures showed the front of the van crushed against a lorry but the back section appeared intact.