Selangor Journal
Japan’s Kento Momota suffered light injuries in an accident on the Maju Expressway on January 13. Momota won the men’s singles final match against Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen at the Malaysia Open badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on January 12, 2020. — Picture by MOHD RASFAN / AFP

Japanese shuttler’s injuries from accident not serious, says health minister

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 13 — CT scans done on world number one men’s singles shuttler Kento Momota and three others, who were hurt in a road crash today, show their injuries are not serious, said Health Minister Datuk Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

“All of them are expected to be discharged (from the Putrajaya Hospital) soon as there are no serious injuries,” he told the media after visiting them at the hospital with Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Hiroshi Oka.

In the 4.40am incident, Momota and the three others were heading to the KL International Airport in a van when it crashed into a slow-moving lorry at KM 13.7 of the Maju Expressway.

The van driver, 24-year-old B. Nageswarau, was pinned to his seat and died at the scene. His body was also sent to the Putrajaya Hospital.

Besides Momota, 25, the current world champion, the other passengers were assistant coach Yu Hirayama, 35, physiotherapist Morimoto Akifumi, 42, and William Thomas, 30, a technical officer of the Badminton World Federation.

Yesterday, Momota won the Malaysia Masters men’s singles title at the Axiata Arena, his first at the prestigious tournament.

He defeated former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final.

Earlier, Serdang police chief ACP Ismadi Borhan said at a press conference that Momota suffered a broken nose, cuts on his lips that required stitches and also some other facial injuries.

He said Hirayama sustained facial injuries and injured her right leg while Akifumi suffered a broken hand.

Thomas suffered leg injuries and also had to be given seven stitches on his head, he added.

Putrajaya Hospital director Dr Nora’i Mohd Said had earlier said Momota and the three others would undergo CT scans and other related examinations for a full diagnosis.

She said they suffered abrasion wounds and were all warded and in stable condition at the hospital.

She added that some of them required immediate dressing of wounds while the others needed stitches at the operation theatre.

Oka, meanwhile, thanked Malaysian authorities for the support rendered.

“We are grateful for (the) support given by (this) Malaysian hospital to the Japanese players,” he said.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, who is also a former patron of the Badminton Association of Malaysia, also took time to visit Momota and his fellow passengers.

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had visited them earlier in the morning followed by BAM president Norza Zakaria a short while later.

 

 

— Bernama

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