LenaicM
Regular Member
Most people sympathise with Momota’s plight over the last year-and-a-half; accordingly, articles have tended to focus on badminton’s lack of results as a whole, rather than on Momota’s performance. I believe that his eyesight is fully restored, and that his physical condition is fine. However, in Momota’s case, being ‘match-fit’ is of paramount importance (he obviously wasn’t, and he knew it) and, to compound matters, the lack of adequate preparation in the run-up to the Olympics led to a mental meltdown. Head coach Park, in his post-Olympic press conference clearly stated that he was worried when he saw the draw, sensing that Momota would feel uncomfortable against a tall ‘attacking’ player. According to PJB, the player who lost against Heo Kwanghee on July 28 was not the Momota he knew.
Momota has not appeared in public since his loss. But a translation of his post-match interview (source: Badminton Spirit <https://www.badspi.jp/202107282300-2/>) runs as follows:
Q: I got the impression that your clears were intercepted too much. What is your take on this?
Momota: I was pressured by my opponent’s power shots, and wanting to push him to the back of the court as at the earliest opportunity, my clears became low. I knew that this was part of my opponent’s plan, but I did not have the courage or ability to adjust during the game and change the height.
Q: Is the fact that you were unable to adjust attributable to the Olympics being a special stage?
Momota: Well, I did not want to lose. I wanted to win so badly that there were parts of the game where I ended up just spinning my wheels.
Q: There were many sections in the match where your opponent seemed to be reading your game. Did you feel that your play-style had been researched?
Momota: I would say that rather than being read, I had no leeway and played an inhibited game. Rather than being read, there was no other place I could hit the shuttle.
Q: In the interview given immediately after the match you stated that you were “not able to play with confidence”. What is the reason for this?
Momota: Halfway through the game I was no longer able to respond to my opponent’s power shots calmly, and started to become timid.
Q: It seems as though you got stuck in a losing pattern that we have seen before. What plan did you have to counter this losing pattern, and why was it not successful on this occasion?
Momota: My image was to avoid being pressured by an opponent who was keen to break off rallies and to avoid being drawn into a random hitting game, where I could not control the pace. I knew what I had to do, but … the fact that I was ‘hit at’, rather than ‘confidently letting my opponent hit his shots’, shows my emotional weakness.
Q: You mentioned that many people supported you and helped you through difficult times. Please convey your thoughts to them.
Momota: I was unable to attain a good result, but many things happened, including painful things. Nevertheless, the fact that I was able to return to the court, and play matches on the stage of my dreams is due to many people. I would really like to thank everybody.
Q: Do you have any idea about the future?
Momota: At the moment I am not thinking about it.
Q: It turned out to be a short Olympics. What were your feelings at the moment you knew it was over?
Momota: Ah, it’s over. I still wanted to continue being part of the Olympics and to continue feeling this tension.
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Although not unexpected, it is incredibly sad how events have turned out for Momota. Given his current condition I think that Momota may do worse than to take a leaf from 2017, and start playing in slightly lower tier tournaments (maybe 300 or 500 level) so as to, 1) re-adjust and, 2) take some of the pressure off himself. Provided he has the motivation, he should be able to regain his form.
An honest interview from KM. I would have like to see the same coming from PJB.
