Japan's ace stuns Chen to win the Asian badminton title

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Japan's Kento Momota shocked Olympic gold-medalist Chen Long to be crowned Asian badminton champion on Sunday, a year after his return from a gambling ban.

Momota, who was barred ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics and returned to action last year, floored the Chinese favorite 21-17, 21-13 at the Badminton Asia Championships in Wuhan.

The 17th-ranked left-hander had never previously won a game against Chen but he dominated the final, reeling off seven straight points to clinch victory when the world number three netted.

Olympic gold-medallist Chen Long shakes hands with Japan's Kento Momota. /VCG Photo

Momota clenched his fists in triumph and kissed the Japanese flag on his singlet after the win, which caps his recovery from a troubled period.

The 23-year-old was banned by Japanese authorities in 2016 after being caught gambling at an illegal casino, and spent a year on the sidelines until last May.

His breakthrough comes after four previous defeats to Chen, a two-time world champion, and follows his straight-sets dismissal of Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei in the semi-finals.

The world number two, Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei beat Chen Yufei 21-19, 22-20 to win the women's title.

Chinese pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen claimed a sensational men's doubles win at the badminton Asian Championships. /VCG Photo

But China's Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping beat Indonesian top seeds Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir 21-17, 21-17 in the mixed doubles final.

And Chinese pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen also gave the home fans something to cheer when they won the men's doubles 11-21, 21-10, 21-13 against Japan's Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda.

In the women's doubles, Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota won an all-Japanese final 21-18, 18-21, 21-15 against Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi.

Source(s): AFP