KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The first event of the 2020 BWF World Tour started much as 2019 ended, with Kento Momota (JPN) adding another gold medal to his ever-growing collection. Lee Yong Dae (KOR) and Kim Gi Jung (KOR) also started their year off with a bang, taking home gold in men’s doubles.
Momota faced a resurgent Viktor Axelsen (DEN) in the final. The Dane made it a test in the first game, leading late before eventually conceding 24-22. However, it was all Momota in the second, as he went on to seal the match 24-22, 21-11.
In men’s doubles, Lee and Kim were up against Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen. The third-seeded Chinese were easy favorites against the unseeded Koreans, but Lee and Kim upended expectations, as they had done all tournament, winning 21-14, 21-16 in just 40 minutes. It is their best result since the two paired up in 2018.
Full match results
Kento Momota: ASTROX 99, AEROBITE, POWER CUSHION 65 Z 2
Lee Yong Dae: NANOFLARE 700, BG80, POWER CUSHION 65 Z 2
Kim Gi Jung: ASTROX 88 D, BG80, POWER CUSHION 65 Z 2
Photos by Badminton Photo