KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — The Japanese Embassy today urged the media to accord an international badminton player and officials some privacy after they were involved in an accident.

“We hope that press do not disturb the players resting during (the time) they are warded,” read part of a brief statement issued by the Embassy today.

In acknowledging the incident had involved Japanese world number one men’s singles shuttler Kento Momota, the embassy said that all surviving victims are recovering well and in stable condition.

This after Momota, his two other Japanese team members, assistant coach Akifumi Marimoto and physiotherapist Yu Hirayama, and Badminton World Federation official, UK’s Foster William Thomas were part of a traffic accident at 5am this morning.

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The van they were in crashed into the back of a 30-tonne lorry laden with earth along the Maju Expressway on its way to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, killing the driver, identified as B. Nageswarau, on the spot.

Momota suffered a broken nose and several lacerations to his face, while Marimoto broke an arm, with Hirayama suffering cuts to her face and Thomas with bruises on his legs while having to undergo seven stitches to close a wound on his head.

Momota, 26, is the current world champion and had just won the Malaysian Masters 2020 last night.

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