Kento Momota Leads Japan to Victory Over Singapore in Asia Team Badminton 2024
Leon To
Wed Feb 21 2024
In a thrilling display of dominance, Japan's badminton team, led by former world number one Kento Momota, crushed Singapore 5-0 in the Asia Team Badminton 2024 tournament. The victory solidified Japan's position at the top of Group C with two consecutive wins, showcasing their strength and depth in the competition.
The match kicked off with Kenta Nishimoto setting the tone for Japan by defeating former world champion Loh Kean Yew 21-14, 21-15. Following Nishimoto's stellar performance, the young pair of Joo Jin Nge and Johann Prajogo from Singapore faced a tough challenge against Japan's Koga Akira and Saito Taichi, resulting in a swift 21-16, 21-12 victory for the Japanese duo.
As the competition progressed, Koki Watanabe secured the overall win for Japan by defeating Joel Koh Jia Wei with scores of 21-19, 21-14. The pair of Mitsuhashi Kenya and Okamura Hiroki extended Japan's lead by overcoming Loh Kean Hean and Jia Hao Howin Wong 21-12, 21-19. In the final match, Kento Momota, currently ranked 40th in the world, effortlessly defeated 19-year-old Jun Hui Marcus Lau, ranked 413th, with a commanding score of 21-16, 21-9.
With this commanding victory, Japan secured one of the top two spots in Group C, guaranteeing their spot in the Asia Men's Team Badminton quarter-finals. The team's impressive performance highlighted their formidable lineup, especially considering they did not utilize world runner-up Kodai Naraoka in the group stage.
On the other hand, Singapore now faces a critical situation, needing to defeat Myanmar in their final match and relying on Japan to defeat Thailand to advance to the next round. The pressure is on for players like Loh Kean Yew, as Singapore will be eliminated if Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn's team defeats Japan 4-1 or 5-0. Thailand also secured a victory by defeating Myanmar 4-1.
In other group matches, India defeated Hong Kong China 4-1 in Group A, advancing alongside China to the next round. In Group B, Chinese Taipei dominated Brunei 5-0 and will contend for the top spot with Malaysia, who also defeated Kazakhstan. In Group D, Indonesia and South Korea secured their quarter-final berths by defeating UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively.
In the Women's Team event, India shocked the competition by defeating China 3-2 in Group W, with PV Sindhu marking her return with a win over Han Yue. India's promising 16-year-old player Anmol Kharb, ranked 472nd, also played a crucial role by defeating the 149th ranked Luo Yu Wu. Despite the results, both teams are set to compete in the quarter-finals. Notably, Singapore faced elimination after a 0-5 loss to Chinese Taipei in Group Z, as their top-ranked female player, Jia Min Yeo, fell to the opposition.
Japan's convincing victory over Singapore in the Asia Team Badminton 2024 tournament showcases their depth and prowess in the sport. With Kento Momota leading the charge, Japan's strong performance positions them as formidable contenders in the upcoming quarter-finals.