SELANGOR, MALAYSIA. (THECOUNT) — Kento Momota, the reigning No. 1 badminton champion, has been identified as one of the victims injured in a fatal van crash in Selangor, Malaysia on Monday, according to reports.
Momota, 25, was traveling in a van while being transported to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, when the vehicle collided with a semi-tractor along the MEX highway in Selangor. The crash killed the driver.
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Momota suffered a broken nose, a fractured cheekbone, and required stitches following the accident, and was treated at the nearby Putrajaya Hospital, reports Coconuts.
The other passengers were identified as Hirayama Yu, a 35-year-old badminton coach, and Morimoto Akifumi, a 42-year-old physiotherapist — both from Japan — and William Thomas, a 30-year-old British technical officer from the Badminton World Federation.
First responders were unable to save the driver of the van, 24-year-old N. Bavan, who was killed at the scene. Three other passengers also suffered injuries, and are reportedly in stable condition under medical observation, according to Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
“We are monitoring all of them very closely,” he told reporters at the hospital today.
“As the minister, we give our full commitment to ensure that they receive the best treatment.”
Momota was on his way to the airport after emerging victorious at the Perodua Malaysia Masters 2020 badminton tournament, where he won the men’s singles category.
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Geo quick facts: Selangor is a state on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, encircling the capital Kuala Lumpur. In the state capital, Shah Alam, the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque has 4 soaring minarets and a huge blue dome. To the northeast are the limestone Batu Caves, which house ornately decorated Hindu shrines. A large golden statue of the Hindu god Lord Murugan stands at the entrance, and monkeys scamper about – wikipedia.