India, Aug. 22 -- Days before the BWF World Championships, Victor Lai made a special trip to Japan to train with Kento Momota, the two-time world champion whose stellar career was unfortunately derailed by a car accident.

Momota was poised to achieve even greater things on court after winning back-to-back World Championships titles in 2018 and 2019 and becoming World No.1. He was widely seen as a successor to Lin Dan at the top of the men's game. But a freak accident in Malaysia in January 2020, which killed the driver of the car in which he was travelling, impacted his career.

Although Momota made a valiant return to the game, the Japanese player was unable to recapture his previous level. His skills on court - fluid movement, crafty n...