Momota back sooner than expected?

Kento Momota could be back in the international tour sooner than expected.  Nippon Badminton Association (NBA) Executive Director Kinji Zeniya told the local newspaper Mainichi Shimbun that the Association had been discussing this week-end options about lifting Momota’s ban as early as April 10^th. The decision is not yet made.  It will be the case “if near 100 percent of board members agree to it,” said Kinji Zeniya, according to the Japanese news outlet.

“We receive reports from NTT East on his progress on a regular basis. He’s giving his all, and I believe he has been handed enough punishment,” Zeniya said. (translated by the website Calvinayre here)

Momota had been banned “indefinitely” last year after he was caught gambling in an illegal casino, together with his compatriot Kenichi Tago, whose ban was total – he was fired from the national team. Momota has since been training with his team NTT East. The Japanese team won the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship but without a top ten men’s singles player, they were seeded only fourth for the upcoming Sudirman Cup. With Akane Yamaguchi and the return of Nozomi Okuhara, the great form of both doubles pairs Takahashi/Matsutomo and Kamura/Sonoda, Japan still has a chance to scoop a medal or even the title but there is no guarantee that a lifting of Momota’s suspension would translate into his being considered for the Sudirman team.