Kento Momota tests positive for COVID-19, Japan withdraws from Thailand Open

Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) on Sunday confirmed that Japan's men's singles world number one 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Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) has subsequently withdrawn all its singles and doubles players from the Thailand Open, BWF reported.

The entire Japanese team was due to fly out to Bangkok, Thailand for the badminton tournaments on the evening of January 3. Momota had gathered with the rest of the national squad a day earlier at the National Training Centre at Kita, Tokyo on Saturday.

"BWF and BAT will invite replacement players and pairs for both tournaments from the list of reserves already scheduled to arrive into the 'Asian Leg Bubble' in Bangkok on or before January 4 and with a Certificate of Entry into Thailand," BWF said.

The Thailand Open and the BWF World Tour Finals 2020 will proceed as planned.

( With inputs from ANI )

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