New chapter for China's shuttlers

Momota injured an eye in a car crash last year, but has returned to peak form after taking advantage of the Games' one-year delay, and appears poised to clinch Japan's maiden men's singles Olympic title.

In men's doubles, China's sole pairing of Liu Yuchen and Li Junhui look no match for the top two seeded duos from Indonesia－Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, and Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.

Japan is hoping to retain its women's doubles gold, with No 1 seeds Fukushima Yuki and Hirota Sayaka expected to battle it out with their world champion compatriots Matsumoto Mayu and Nagahara Wakana for top honors.

China has won 18 out of the total 34 gold medals on offer since badminton made its debut as an official medal sport at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

Adding to that tally in Tokyo will be crucial to China's attempts to reinvigorate the national program in a new era for the sport following the retirements of a number of superstars－two-time Olympic singles champion Lin, his Malaysian rival Lee Chong Wei, Indonesian great Taufik Hidayat, and Danish legend Peter Gade.

All the top seeds in the five badminton events are making their Olympics debuts in Tokyo.

Three-time Olympic silver medalist Lee reckons that the emergence of young stars coupled with the pandemic's influence have made the Tokyo Olympics extremely difficult to predict.

"For example, the Chinese badminton team hasn't participated in international tournaments for over a year," Lee, the Malaysian delegation's chef de mission, told Chinese media on Wednesday.

"We simply do not know if they are in good shape or what their latest tactics are.

"All I can say is that this Olympic Games is very special, and I think anything can happen."