Japan came second in the Thomas Cup men's team badminton championship Sunday, losing 3-1 to powerhouse China in the final.Japan, aiming to win the tournament for the first time since 2014, got off to a good start after former world No. 2 Kento Momota beat Rio de Janeiro Olympic gold medalist Chen Long 21-9, 21-18.The 12th-ranked Momota won his second straight match against the fifth-ranked Chinese despite losing all four matches in 2014 and 2015. Momota missed a spot at the 2016 Rio Games after receiving a ban for illegal gambling.Japan, however, failed to win again. Takuto Inoue and Yuki K…READ FULL ARTICLE