Some legends on Chinese badminton tackle a legendary type. Like Chen Yufei truly pre-lifed your complete Tokyo Olympic Gold simulation within the months earlier than the Games – from taking the identical bus to the stadium, all the way down to the final microsecond journey time, recreating the warmup, the varied opponents , till standing straight. high podium. Apparently the Chinese badminton was xeroxed in actual (or 3D printed), full view — and sentinels he might presumably run into opponents who might cease him.
There isn’t any method of figuring out whether or not all – or some – of this was truly finished. But this week, Chinese Badminton Association president Zhang Jun informed Chinanews.com, as quoted by Xinhua’s Shi Futian, that Team China had arrange a coaching base in Thailand within the years main as much as the pandemic. This cancellation was finished to scale back the impact of the postponement which helped him to play 14 consecutive worldwide tournaments.
There are apocryphal tales on how Shi Yuqi was disciplined for disobedience at his winter coaching base with a resort referred to as Badminton, the place gamers keep targeted solely on the sport. And how China swapped sponsorship offers for its nationwide group – from homegrown Li Ning to Japanese Yonex, which was a shocking coup.
But rising from the powerhouse, with a cohesive story, screenplay and screenplay, is a declare that’s chilling in its ambition: China’s want to return to absolute dominance. Zhang informed Xinhua: “International badminton is very competitive now. There are many great players from other federations. But our goal is the same – to win all five golds in Paris.”
Of course each nation aspires to have all 5 accessible golds – two singles and three doubles – and there may be nothing improper with that if it may be extracted. China’s sweep of the World Tour Finals with three golds in doubles was the earliest assertion of intent, and nobody on this planet would name that an empty boast. Until a decade in the past, badminton was dominated by the Chinese dynasty. Although in case you solely began watching badminton within the final ten years or so, you wouldn’t know what it means to gobble up the gold, and now it’s iconic.
The world’s high expertise is anticipated to show up on the India Open Super 750 beginning subsequent week. But it’s the new-age Chinese, arriving in Delhi, who might be a supply of curiosity as they take their first calculative steps in the direction of Paris qualifying.
To ensure, these usually are not the passive, insular non-sociable Chinese of olden instances—those who shun opponents and do not feel the necessity to speak about their recreation. A bunch of them are doing their media commitments in English, they smile and specific loads on court docket (although Shi Yuqi is banned for a very long time for blistering the digital camera) . And typically preserve writing their ideas on social media. Chen Yufei’s most up-to-date: “There is still a long way to go. I would like to congratulate all the Chinese players who achieved their success this year, proving that all our hard work has paid off. We look forward to glory in the future.” Will strive laborious to get it again.
A trailer of this glory-reclaiming enterprise might be proven at IG Stadium. The final time a Chinese contingent of this caliber (relatively robust) was seen in India was on the 2009 World Championships in Hyderabad – the place Lin Dan and Lu Lan gained the singles. Chen Jin and Shi Jingfang additionally gained silver medals. 7 of the ten finalists had been Chinese with all-China finals in each singles and ladies’s doubles.
Such supremacy now looks like a bygone period, as there may be way more democracy to beat, with Spain and India and Japan rising as conquerors. But China’s transitional cycle within the final 8-9 years has peaked in Paris time. While there isn’t any scarcity of contenders geared up to cease the Chinese, Tokyo and Chen Yufei proved that, again and again, the Chinese can micro-plot their each transfer to success.
Out of nowhere got here Chinese males’s doubles pair Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi, a 28-year-old pair, to grab World Tour Finals gold. Yuken was the silver medalist in Tokyo. But profitable Indonesia’s title, coming off the reserve record, then making it to 5 finals – profitable three, beating the daddies within the World Tour Finals and getting into the highest 10 in a frenetic season, is the type of stratospheric rocket rise that China has come to affiliate. Has occurred – the place sportsmen instantly take off after coaching quietly at home stage, and discover themselves very quickly thrust into Olympic competitors.
China’s males’s singles problem remains to be very skinny. But after finishing his 10 months in additional follow, and a spot of atonement for his “behaviour” of exposing his damage, which infuriated the Chinese hierarchy, Xi Yuqi is again. Watch him climb the rankings prefer it’s vertical parkour. Supporting wingmen – Lu Guangzu and Zhao Jun Peng have not precisely set the circuit on fireplace however are nonetheless within the high 15, with Lakshya Sen at No.10 and Okay Srikanth at No.13 within the Unfrozen Live rankings.
A 3-year turnaround timeline between Tokyo and Paris means Chen Yufei, a cerebral precision artist blessed with easy footwork and timing, stays in competition in 2024. She gained the bronze medal within the World Tour Finals with Akane Yamaguchi and Tai Tzu Ying. Final. But it is not typically you hear the saying a few present Olympic champion: “The 24-year-old hasn’t yet become a dominant force in women’s singles on the world stage.”
One lacking world championship gold. Zhang Ning’s bastion of 1 Olympic gold after one other. Work not accomplished until Paris is sealed for China. Material ambitions are made.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
