Yuki and Sayaka at the Olympics

“If you smile, I’ll be fine too.”

Yuki’s LINE message to Sayaka (Trans by Sebastien @sebad110)

Is it ok to write about FukuHiro?  No Japanese Women’s Doubles medal in Tokyo would have been unimaginable six months ago but the top seeds were knocked out at the QF stage.  This does not even scratch the surface of Yuki and Sayaka’s Olympics.

Facing elimination together – screenshot from Eurosport.

The badminton world was staggered when Sayaka arrived on court and revealed a heavy knee brace on her right leg.  Despite the catastrophe that had befallen her the Gold medal favourites had decided to come and fight. 

Sooner or later, we have to accept that for all the time spent on analysis of games and players a match will always end in victory or defeat.  Nevertheless, at the Olympics the reaction of these two athletes to a serious injury subverted this into an honourable display that showed the strength of their partnership and their love of badminton played together.

The first match facing Birch/Smith was a chance to see if they could win on three and a half legs.  Unbelievably they battled through in two sets.  Fukushima carried a big burden: she ran for two whilst Hirota tried to avoid the back line.  Their tactics succeeded: 21-13 & 21-14.  There had to be a focus on keeping playing time to a minimum and the stats show that the longest rally was 54 strokes with the average length at 11.  In the next game against CHOW/LEE the Malaysians seemed prepped to exploit her restricted movement and got the first set but nerves took over and the self-confidence of the Japanese saw them win the following two sets.  This time the longest rally was 76 strokes with an average length of 13 per rally.

After the first game Hirota had described herself as at 70-80% and admitted that she had been injured during training on June 18th.  She later said:

“It’s like it became pitch-black. I thought it was impossible to go to the Olympics anymore. I felt very sorry for Fukushima-senpai”

Interview in NHK translated by Sebastien.

After an MRI scan, she was diagnosed with an ACL tear in her right knee plus damage to her meniscuses and lateral collateral ligament.  She described it as a “desperate time”. A specialist advised surgery but agreed – after two weeks rest from training – that it was feasible to wait until after the Olympic tournament.  The Donjoy-style brace she wore was designed to redeploy the way playing pressure impacted on her damaged knee.  The stress goes to the healthy parts and away from aggravating the pain.

The final group game was their first loss.  Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu had to work hard over three sets but in the end, they just could not find a way through.  This meant they had come second in Group A and would meet CHEN/JIA in a quarter final. Even if they had both been fit this tie would have been daunting. The Chinese are superb players; strong and smart so they knew they were in for a difficult day. Yuki’s LINE message to her partner that evening read

“…tomorrow regardless we win or lose, I want us to enjoy the match…Let’s overcome this together. Let’s speak together. If you smile, I’ll be fine too.”

Trans by Sebastien.

It was a brutal physical test and after three sets their goal of a home Olympics medal was gone. At the end they faced the world with tears and their arms around each other. The Chinese players’ sporting behaviour added to the emotion of the moment. Games like this can be very hard to spectate.

Sayaka has a hard six months of rehab ahead but her courageous attitude and the support of Yuki will sustain her. Fukuhiro’s Olympics was tragic and wonderful. I’m so sorry that they were not able to compete to 100% of their ability but seeing their reaction to heartbreak was inspiring. Their bravery and commitment shone through disappointment; the dream has not been lost, only delayed until Paris 2024.

If you enjoyed this then take a look at my earlier article about Fukuhiro https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/11/06/japans-fukuhiro-can-they-win-tokyo-gold/

Thank you to Sebastien for letting me use their translations of interviews in Japanese and also thank you to all the Fukuhiro fans out there who shared ideas and chatted about the Olympic journey with me.

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

TAI Tzu Ying Wins Olympic Silver

Tai Tzu Ying is the creative spark who can elevate badminton into more than sport. The fusion of brilliant shots and brave resolve is breathtaking to watch. Her sensational technical skills make comparisons with Roger Federer easy. Just like him she can do just about anything with her racket; the variety and fluency is electrifying.

Screen grab from Eurosport.

However, she has struggled to play her best games at the past two Olympics. No medal at London 2012 or Rio 2016 so, with talk of retirement in the air, the focus has been on Tokyo. Fans around the world have craved a podium spot for her so The Queen arrived in Japan with a clear goal.

TAI Tzu Ying came to the final to win; CHEN Yu Fei arrived determined not to lose. Two equals but with contrasting approaches to the match. It was a fascinating clash. CHEN Yu Fei is strategically shrewd and her consistency was effective in neutralising some of TTY’s flair: she won the first set 21-18. TAI Tzu Ying fought back hard in set two to force a decider. It was a relentless battle on court and inside the player’s heads.

Set three began badly for TAI Tzu Ying. CHEN Yu Fei pounced on some errors and racked up quick points to lead 10-3. TTY’s fighting spirit was not subdued though. Over some intensely nerve-wracking minutes she clawed her way back into contention but although she almost caught up she could not alter the momentum of the contest. CHEN Yu Fei triumphed 21-18.

So finally TAI Tzu Ying has an Olympic medal; it would have been unbearable if she had returned home to Taiwan empty-handed. She was true to herself and the way she has to play the game. Just like Federer at London 2012 she came to win Gold but in the end got Silver. She couldn’t have given any more to the fight. Congratulations TAI Tzu Ying from your millions of fans – we are so proud of you!

If you enjoyed this then take a look at the article I wrote about Team TAI Tzu Ying https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2021/02/25/team-tai-tzu-ying/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

TAI Tzu-Ying: Player of the Day

The Olympic Semi-Final

TAI Tzu Ying was breathtaking today as she seized a place in the Olympic final. Her flair and courage were irresistable. PV Sindhu fought hard but at crucial moments she could not contain the creative genius of the Queen.

Pic from Shutterstock

The battle for the first set saw the balance of power swing backwards and forwards between the two athletes. Sindhu has rediscovered her 2019 form in Tokyo and she refused to allow TTY to get any scoring momentum although she could not take control herself. Both players were utterly focused on their quest for the final. Sindhu led at the interval and stayed with the scoring up to 18-18 but TAI’s strategy of moving the World Champion from side to side whilst trying to push her back succeeded in minimising the threat of the Indian’s power smash. This was very shrewd and allowed her to take charge in the last three points and secure the opening set 21-18.

The second set and a change of ends saw the screw being turned by TAI Tzu Ying. Although it was pretty even at the interval the scoreline was ticking over nicely in favour of Taiwan. Errors started to creep in from Sindhu and she was finding it increasingly tricky to control the shuttle in her long shots. The pressure was relentless and TAI’s exquisite technical skills were allowing her to drive the direction of the game; in the end the set was closed out 21-12

So, we have the priviledge of being able to watch TAI Tzu Ying in an Olympic final: something I have craved for years. Since she started mentioning retirement the focus for fans has been this gold medal match. Moments like these are fleeting, I hope she enjoys the game, with no injuries and does justice to her magnificent talent.

Here is an article I wrote about TTY after her victory at the All England in 2019 https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2020/03/23/tai-tzu-ying-the-triple-champion/

Today also saw a wonderful performance from Anthony Ginting to reach the MS semi-finals and fabulous play by Polii and Rahayuu to get to the WD final. Two archive articles about them are here https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/11/25/anthony-sinisuka-ginting/ and here https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2020/01/19/greysap-redux-polii-rahayu-are-back/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Marin To Miss Olympics

In a breaking news story the Rio 2016 Gold medalist has announced that she will be unable to defend her title in Tokyo.

Picture from Shutterstock/ Hafiz Johari

The devastating news came after she felt some discomfort in her left anterior cruciate ligament during training last week. The medics have confirmed that she will have to undergo surgery to repair both meniscus and the torn ACL. It’s quite hard to speculate what the future holds but there is no doubt that this is a serious injury. She had the drive and self-belief to recover from a similar problem to her right knee so she knows the scale of the work that awaits her.

Marin is a fierce competitior who has shown a fantastic commitment to the sport throughout lockdown. She has been willing to travel far and wide to continue playing in tournaments; her two wins in Thailand in January were out of the top drawer.

This is the statement from Carolina’s Twitter feed

The tournament in Tokyo will not be the same without her. Best wishes Caro!

Yonex All England 2021: Doubles Preview

The arena in Birmingham awaits. The stage is set for badminton royalty to remind fans why they dominate world badminton. A Super 1000 tournament is the ultimate test and a Super 1000 title is the sign of sporting magnificence.

Men’s Doubles

Will anyone be able to stop the Minion’s progress to the title?  Indonesian men’s doubles is the finest in the world but that doesn’t mean the path to the podium is painless.

Kevin Sukamuljo & Marcus Gideon – were last year’s beaten finalists and are top seeds.  The key question is whether or not they can overcome the sort of strategies Yuta & Endo used against them in the final last year – have they been able to add those couple of extra percentage points to their performance to grab the gold?  It is vital that they are focused from the minute they step on court in R1 because there are some outstanding rivals ready to eliminate them.  If they get to the QF it’s possible they may meet the talented Indian pair Rankireddy/Shetty or the recent Swiss Open champions Astrup/Rasmussen.  Both of these can defend a barrage of flat, aggressive shots so a crucial asset for the Minions is going to be patience, and to be confident in the breadth of their attack. Prediction: Final – they will rock the All England together!

Takeshi Kamura & Keigo Sonoda are Japan’s highest seeds at 3. Kamura has great vision and anticipation with shuttle hunting at the core of his game.  Sonoda is the steadfast partner who backs him up and feeds off what he creates. They are the epitome of “fast and furious” with rowdy shouting and a brawny, dynamic approach. They never run out of energy but their head-to-head record against the Minions is quite weak so if they face each other over the net on the Saturday all the stats point to an Indonesian win.  Prediction: Semi Final

Hiroyuki Endo/Yuta Watanabe: I adore Yuta’s swashbuckling style and he is nicely balanced by Endo’s steadier approach.  It’s a rare player who can match Kevin Sukamuljo’s net play but Yuta is not intimidated by the Indonesian’s blistering reactions and can hold his own. Last year’s champions have every chance of defending their title but as they are ‘only’ seeded 4 they are not going to get an easy passage to the final.  It seems extraordinary to me that Yuta has a realistic chance of winning XD as well; surely there must come a point where his stamina is diluted?

Hendra Setiawan & Mohammad Ahsan: these two badminton heroes keep playing at the highest level and digging out results in taxing games.  Hendra’s skills belong to a different dimension when he is at the net, and he brings such control and determination to his matches.  They did play well in Thailand but were not able to stop Lee/Wang’s hat-trick of titles; in the final of the WTF they were simply overwhelmed by the Taiwanese players high speed muscular approach. They are seeded 2 and I never ever write them off.  Prediction SF.

Fajar Alfian & Muhammad Rian Ardianto.  I’m not sure what to expect from the fifth seeds.  I didn’t feel that they hit their stride in Thailand but when these two are at their best the combination of Ardianto’s crisp smashes and Alfian’s control of the net is exhilarating. It’s crucial that they find their competitive groove quickly, their rhythm in Thailand was too stuttery and they used a lot of energy chasing points rather than dictating games. Its feasible that they could meet the Dads at the QF stage and they will not be the favourites to win that game.

Mixed Doubles

There are exciting athletes in XD at the moment.  I’m intrigued to watch the new unseeded pairing of Olympic Gold Medallist Misaki Matsutomo with Yuki Kaneko.  When TakaMatsu broke up last year, Misaki switched disciplines from WD to XD in a bid to get a spot at the Tokyo games.  I don’t think they can expect to get beyond a Quarter Final but she is a competitor from the top draw and her fans would love to enjoy watching a good run in this tournament.  It feels as though this is a competition ready to be won by someone unexpected, especially as Bass/Popor have decided not to compete. I can’t lie, I would adore it if they over-achieved.

Praveen Jordan & Melati Daeva Oktavianti. Seeded 1 and the defending champions – PraMel are sharp-witted and shrewd players. Jordan always looks so strong and menacing; no one has a smash as hard as him.  If he is in the right frame of mind he can ride the momentum of a game and annihilate opponents.  Melati needs him to be focused and fit so she can concentrate on her own role. He has had an injury but is reportedly back to full training so the mission to retain their title is feasible.

Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino: Yuta is not necessarily the most powerful player but he makes up for that with his anticipation and creativity.  It’s incredible that he has the stamina to compete at the highest level in two disciplines.  I like the partnership with Arisa because of her strength, when they find their positions reversed Yuta can rely on her to defend the back as he rules the front. This brings an extra dimension to their attack and can really turn the tide in their favour in a game. They are seeded 2 and I can’t really see who can stop their progress to a medal.

CHAN Peng Soon & GOH LIU Ying are the Rio silver medallists and should be looking at this competition as a good opportunity to win a title.  I think they must start brightly to try and build self-confidence before the possibility of a QF against Thom and Delphine.  They can get to the semi-final so long as they don’t get overwhelmed by the ebullient French pair.

Thom & Delphine: These two are being touted as the future of European XD and possible gold medallists at the Paris Olympics.  For now, they are just at the start of their journey but they are a confident duo who like to dominate and dictate the momentum of a match.  They are a stylish pair to watch, creative, zesty and always looking for gaps, especially out wide.  The intensity and quality of the competition they will face here is a step up from the Swiss Open but it is intriguing to measure them against some of the best in the world.  Prediction QF

Women’s Doubles

FukuHiro are top seeds and defending champions – they seem to have added a sprinkle of something extra to their game over the past year.  I think they have given themselves permission to be more than good.  In Denmark back in October Yuki Fukushima’s energy and desire propelled them on to the title.  Hirota’s swiftness of body and mind, her precision and anticipation screw down the pressure on opponents. If they bring the same aggression and accuracy to Birmingham the pair will be unstoppable. Prediction: Final

Embed from Getty Images

Nagahara & Matsumoto are often regarded as the Japanese pair with the most creative spark and aggression.  Matsumoto can unleash some brutal smashes and together they are a partnership that routinely wins big events.  Their rivalry with their compatriots will be an extra motivation especially after their defeat in the final at October’s Danish Open.  They failed to neutralise the influence of Fukushima and that was the decisive difference between them.  Prediction: Final

Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu: So, this looks like the last time Greysia will play at the All England and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person to cheer for one of my favourite players.  GreyAp competed fearlessly in January’s matches in Thailand and their triumph at the Yonex Thailand Open was a well-deserved, emotional victory.  I would love to see them on the podium here but I think the top seeds may just have a little bit extra over them.  Prediction:  My heart says final but my head says Quarter Final.  Good luck girls!

Jongkolphan Kititharakul & Rawinda Prajonjai can be a quick aggressive pair and are capable of despatching lower seeds without too much fuss but their head-to-head stats against the established Japanese players suggest that they are going to struggle to progress much further than a QF.  Their R1 game against Tan & Thinaah could be an awkward encounter.

Pearly TAN & THINAAH Muralitharan have a really tough draw because they are unseeded, but since playing in Thailand they have impressed everyone.  They possess winnability and seem to be able to squeak a result even when they are up against more experienced opposition. Their victory in the final of the Swiss Open against the Stoeva sisters was a good illustration of their desire; they played to win, not just to defend and they reaped the reward.  These two young Malaysians could be some stars in the making.

The doubles competitions in Birmingham are fascinating this year because so many of the top seeds have been absent from the international tour for a year or so.  Their challenge is to adapt to quarantine protocols quickly so they can compete at the levels of intensity and focus we expect.  There’s no doubt that the people who get to grips with the new procedures will be at an advantage. The saying goes that ‘when the sun comes out it dulls the other stars’, I’m very curious to see what the overall standard of play is. Will the athletes who have been missing now blaze a trail to the trophies despite their lack of match practice? or will they discover that while they’ve been away their European rivals have upped their levels?

If you enjoyed this read my review of last year’s tournament https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2020/03/21/yonex-all-england-2020-review/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Mohammad Ahsan: Player of the Day & Total Legend!

Today two brave warriors fought through the pain barrier together and probably seized a place at the World Tour Finals.

The iconic Dads are renowned worldwide for their match genius. The rock-ribbed duo will force a win when all hope seems lost. Remember the celebrated victory on three legs at the All England in 2019? This R1 win against Ellis & Langridge was on a par with that. Perhaps it was an even ‘better’ victory because we would all crawl to the arena to participate in a final but this was a game in the first round.

Shockingly the English pair raced to the first mid-game interval with an 11-2 lead. Morten spotted that Ahsan was in trouble with a leg injury. All was lost.

All was not lost. Slowly, slowly they dragged themselves back into the set. At 15-16 down there was a draining 79 shot rally and I feared for Ahsan as it progressed; but he was brave and scored the winning shot to level the score at 16-16. The set progressed to 21-21 and then somehow the Indonesian pair got two points and they were over the line. But could they continue?

As the second set progressd it became clear that the English players had lost focus. They didn’t exploit Ahsan’s lack of mobility enough. On the other side of the net the Dads drew on all their experience and tactical nous. Setiawan covered for his partner: they changed their tactics, kept the scoreboard ticking over and the rallies short. Into the interval leading 11-7. Two fighters refusing to concede. Incredibly they kept going. Calmly dealing with everything the English pair could throw at them they sealed the second set and so the match 21-15.

I named Ahsan as my player of the day but I could easily have said “Setiawan” because together these two become more than mere athletes. They are lionhearts who proved once again why they are legends. Bravo! This was an absolute priviledge to watch!

If you enjoyed this then take a look at my article about Apriyani Rahayu https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2021/01/16/apriyani-rahayu-semi-finals-player-of-the-day/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

The Adcocks

The most prestigious badminton tournament in the world has been missing something since 2005: an English winner of a final.  The All England title is the Special One, the one that every elite player covets – in Mixed Doubles can Gabby and Chris Adcock make it to the podium in 2020 and confirm their place amongst the legends of the sport?

Through the years this sector has seen some iconic winners, not least the hattrick of victories by the Indonesian pair Lilyana Natsir and Tontowi Ahmad between 2012-2014, however we have to go back to 2005 to find the last English triumph.  Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson’s 3 set win over the Danish duo of Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl was a red-letter day for home fans.  They were a tough couple who just refused to be beaten on their native soil.  They narrowly failed to defend their title the following year, and in 2007 Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg got to the final but came away with the silver medal.  So now we look to the Adcocks to see if they can seize the chance to get Gold in Birmingham.

Gabby and Chris are a partnership that was always meant to be.  As children they used to play badminton together, but as they got older, they were paired up with other people.  The London 2012 Olympics came and went with not too much to remark upon. However, when they rekindled their partnership on and off court a sequence of competitive success began.  They married in 2013 and one of their first major titles was Commonwealth Gold in 2014, successfully retained in 2018. Amongst their other achievements have been Gold at the BWF Superseries season ending event in Dubai 2015 (the only Brits before or since) and World Championship bronze in 2017, not to mention the 2017/2018 European titles.

Embed from Getty Images

Gabby Adcock is a great XD partner.  It’s noticeable that in the last couple of decades our expectations of a woman’s role in XD have evolved.  There is more equality of responsibility and although traditional positions and movement are still fundamental there is a new flexibility in approach; Natsir has been a very progressive influence on this. Gabby has the ability to perform well within this tactical framework and in an evenly balanced game the woman player’s skills will have a big impact. It should go without saying that she is a great player at the net, with sharp kills she brings a fearless intensity to the position.  As she is mostly playing at the front she is always alert to strategic possibilities.  It’s crucial that she will make interceptions, her fast feet and good spatial awareness help her to control the tempo of the game and this can be a valuable platform for Chris’s aggression.  The ferocity in the team does not just come from him though; she has a great smash and the strength to repel attack if she finds herself in the rear court.

Chris Adcock is one of the best XD men players in the world.  He likes to maintain the offensive focus and is skilful at supporting Gabby’s position.  He likes to compress the space by moving forward a little in midcourt to keep the pressure on the opposition; it means that gaps for rivals to score in are harder to find. He has a powerful smash so any attempt to hit over him has to be very accurate.   He has been a successful MD player in the early years of his career and this has given him plenty of confidence to step up to the net if necessary, he’ll execute nice blocks with flat pushes over the net and he’s good at finding openings to exploit.  They work well together to engineer winning chances. 2019 in review has to go down as a patchy year; uneven results stemmed from persistent injury niggles including very painful toe joint problems for Gabby.  Their best ever world ranking – #4 – came in 2017.  Now, two years later they have slipped out of the top 10.  The consequences of injuries are broad because they disrupt both partners training programmes as well as tournament performance.  The value of ranking positions is that it affects whether athletes are seeded for competitions, if they are unseeded it means that they will probably have to play strong pairs early on.   

2020 has some wonderful opportunities on the horizon for this duo.  Once again, they are playing in the Indian PBL with the Pune Aces. There are undoubted benefits to a fresh approach, new training partners and a lively fan base. Take a look at this quote from Chris

“The biggest thing to happen this year is to have a quality player like Hendra Setiawan in your team. You can train with him, you can learn from him. We (he and his wife and mixed doubles partner Gabrielle) are obviously very experienced players but Hendra is obviously in a different world and amazing to watch,”

In the past there have been some nerve tingling games in Birmingham involving the Adcocks.  After losing in the semi-final in 2016, the following year they found themselves playing for a shot at the title again against LIU Kai and HUANG Yaqiong from China.  They each won a set, and Chris served for the match in the third with the score at 20-19. This was the moment that he has described as “the worst string break of all time”.  In that instant the game turned as they lost the next points, the third set and the match.  It was an excruciating slice of bad luck. 

So, in March, will we see English representatives in the XD final?  There’s no doubt that Chris and Gabby have the skills and drive to do well.  I’d love to see them begin 2020 injury-free so that they can start building their competitive momentum for success at the Yonex All England; earning back their status as seeds with some good results is the first step.  The whole of the English badminton community – from village hall players to the elite – would enjoy watching them triumph in Birmingham.  If they win here, they will reinforce their status as England’s #1 XD pair and become legends in the game for all time.

A version of this post first appeared on the Yonex All England website https://www.allenglandbadminton.com/media/

If you enjoyed this then click the link to read about another England legend, Lauren Smith https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/08/09/lauren-smith-doubles-for-britain/ or this one about TAI Tzu Ying https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/12/16/tai-tzu-ying-the-queen/

©2025

Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Lee Chong Wei – Hero of a Nation

Datuk Lee Chong Wei, for anyone in the Badminton world, this man needs no introduction. For nearly two decades Lee Chong Wei flew the flag for Malaysia in mens singles. Hailed by many as a hero for Malaysia his perseverance and willingness to never give up has inspired all.

Dazzling footwork, blinding speed and aggressive power

We can’t talk about Lee Chong Wei without discussing his two most defining aspects, his speed and power. He’s easily one of the fastest players there has ever been. He makes even the most difficult footwork look easy. He glides around the court, never missing a beat. Leading the rallies by setting the pace, other players are just playing catchup most of the time.

His speed is beautifully coupled by his raw physical power. Capable of hitting smashes way over the 380kmph consistently and even seeing smashes reaching 400kmph and above keeps his opponents in check. His straight smash from round the head on his backhand side is one of the most lethal shots I’ve ever seen if the opponent can somehow get it back he’s ready to follow up and kill the reply.

All of this combined gave the Malaysian a distinct playing style that very few could ever combat and even fewer have been able to emulate. There’s something mesmerising watching him covering the court with ease and then suddenly explode and start piling pressure onto his opponent. It’s exciting, to say the least.

Olympic glory, accolades and knighthood

3 Olympic silver medals, 3 World Championship medals, 46 Super Series title and more than 700 career wins! Lee Chong Wei’s trophy cabinet makes him one of the most decorated in not just in Badminton but in sport in general.

Sadly he never attained the two most coveted titles in Badminton, gold in the Olympics and the World Championships. How massive even these silver medals are for Malaysia that he was granted the title of Datuk, akin to a knighthood for Malaysians.

None could amount to his sheer dominance at his home event, the Malaysia Open! He won it a total 12 times with eight of them year on year. A record unprecedented by any other. He was untouchable on home soil, fueled by the roaring fans he lacked no confidence in any encounter.

One of the Four Kings in Badminton mens singles and a part of the Yonex Legends Vision team he’s cemented himself as one of the greats of the sport. His Badminton academy aims to deliver world-class coaching, mentoring and opportunities to the next generation of players who look up to and idolise him.

Badminton’s greatest rivalry

We can’t talk about Lee Chong Wei without talking about his biggest rival, Lin Dan. Their rivalry is one of Badminton’s greatest if not the greatest. In their prime, nobody came close to either of them. Titles were decided by the two of them and the two of them alone.

They met each other 40 times throughout their careers. Their matches were titanic clashes of speed, power and finesse. They met in the Olympic final twice in a row and Lee Chong Wei lost out in both of their meetings in 2008 and 2012. Finally, he managed to break the cycle by defeating Lin Dan in the semi-final of Rio 2016 in one of the most nail-biting matches ever.

They battled at the All England, the World Championships and countless other events throughout the years. Badminton was lucky enough to see these two greats bring out the best in each other. Lee Chong Wei was on the wrong side of a 28-12 head-to-head with Lin Dan but without those loses he wouldn’t be the incredible champion he is. Each loss inspired the next ascent to even higher greatness.

Hero of the Badminton world

Despite his setbacks, despite his loses, despite everything he had gone through he continued to fight on. His ability to keep on getting up and to press forward gave everyone else hope. They hoped they could be like him, to come back stronger and better than before.

Sadly, June 2019 saw his career come to end. Despite fighting back against nose cancer he was unable to return to competitive play. The world of Badminton wept for a man who could have gone even further even at the age of 36 he was still one of the best in the world.

A Badminton legend but also a wonderful person. Players and fans always met by his welcoming and friendly smile he was loved as a person as much as a player. Respected not just for what he achieved but how it never changed him, how showed everyone how to win and how to lose, with pride, decency and respect.

He taught us how to keep on fighting. How to get back up after a fall. His story inspired millions. He inspired the world, he definitely inspired me.

This article was written by Liam Walsh of BadmintonsBest. A Badminton blog inspiring more people to pick up Badminton and reach their full potential. 

If you enjoyed this you may like the following article about the current world #1 Kento Momota https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/12/27/kento-momota/ or this one about one of his most exciting rivals: Anthony Ginting https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/11/25/anthony-sinisuka-ginting/

Saina Nehwal: India’s Beloved Champion

Badminton in India changed forever in August 2012 when Saina Nehwal won an Olympic bronze medal and reached beyond the sporting community into superstardom.

Credit: Veri Sanovri/Xinhua/Alamy Live News

“Saina honestly did something amazing for Indian badminton…I literally had never watched badminton until she started winning. She actually carved out a space for a sport not very popular in India – especially for women – and now it’s so much better.” By September

Like many others I first noticed her at London 2012, however, by that point she was already Commonwealth Champion so she had already achieved significant success.  Losing that semi final in the Olympics must have been  utterly gut wrenching both for her and the nation watching back home.  The bitter disappointment was transformed when she won the bronze and elevated badminton’s popularity to new heights.

On the surface she has quite a ‘classic’ approach to her matches.  By that I mean – as in all singles – she likes to move her opponent to the four corners, tries to get them off balance, makes space, then pounces.  But that description is too simple and doesn’t take into account her brilliance as a tactician or her psychological power.  It’s this mix of skills – all shots form part of her armoury – that make her such a potent player and a fascinating shuttler to watch.

I’ve heard it said that her game relies on retrieving.  Clearly, the disadvantage of this style can be that it is reactive.  There is either going to be a hint of hesitation or a bit of anticipation.  Both of which are weaknesses to be exploited by an opponent.  Someone like Tai Tzu Ying – who has spontaneous unpredictable creativity – can really punish this.   Against most rivals though it is not a flaw; it showcases her incredible mental strength and strategic dexterity. There is no doubt that she needs to draw rivals into rallies. She has a potent smash – her best shot in my opinion – she has to lure the other player into a weak lift to let her unleash.

She has a genius for defence – always a couple of steps ahead and carefully applying pressure upon her opponent.  How must it feel to play against her when nothing you try will break her resistance?  This is the remarkable emotional force she has.  She will fight until her last breath, she never gives up, she doesn’t recognise when she is beaten. She is the sort of person you want by your side in a war.

“Winning is the only option. I am someone who does not like losing in tournaments.”

2015 was arguably the highlight of her career so far because she achieved World No. 1 status .In the years before that, she triumphed in lots of BWF Superseries events such as the Indonesian Open (2009/2010/2012/2019), Singapore Open (2010), Hong Kong Open (2011) and too many others to list here. But then, just as her Rio Olympics campaign was starting, we all know about that knee injury.

Saina talks about injury and her role as an ambassador for Clean, Fair and Honourable Badminton.
Video by kind permission of BWF

It’s a tribute to her hard work and commitment that she came back to the top of the sport after her operation. Her smash needs to be perfect now because as she follows it in to the net there is the threat that she will be caught out. Her shot selection can be a bit risk averse; her pleasure is clearly in doing whatever it takes to win rather than revelling in pin point accuracy.  That attacking clear to a corner is an incredibly useful shot; likewise the cross court net shot to wrong foot her opponent.

I still think there is a lot to come from Saina providing her workload is managed properly. By that I mean that as she gets older it would be ridiculous to play in too many tournaments – badminton is such a physically demanding sport – wear and tear would just be inevitable. But with the right team behind her: coaches, physios, nutritionalists and of course her fans she can still be a beacon for Indian and world badminton.

Saina Nehwal must be the most beloved Indian player. She has been an inspirational game changer in her sport and has touched people far beyond the badminton community. I’ve been inundated with requests to write about her; it’s been hugely enjoyable watching some of her past games and talking to fans about her style. The affection felt for her and the admiration of her is incredible. I’ll give the last word to one of her millions of fans:

“She made an entire nation believe that with hard work and passion Indians can reach the very top in world badminton and consistently win titles. Making a big space for badminton in a cricket mad nation is not easy, now badminton is the second most popular sport in India” Arun – Saina Fan

If you enjoyed this follow the link for more Saina quotes https://womensbadminton.co.uk/saina/

Follow the link below for my article about the other Indian Superstar, P V Sindhu https://womensbadminton.co.uk/2019/03/25/p-v-sindhu-indias-superstar/

©2019 Amanda Bloss All Rights Reserved

Current Status: EXCITED

What’s so good about the Yonex All England Championships?

It’s the chance to be inside a buzzing arena and witness sporting history being made. Will the exciting Japanese duo of Fukushima and Hirota justify their seeding at number 1? Or could another women’s doubles pair rise to challenge them?

For me, nothing compares to live matches. Firstly it’s a shared emotional experience. In Birmingham there will be about 15000 people brought together and we all want to see success and feel as though we played our part in it. I think that watching on TV simply doesn’t come close – it’s like comparing eating chocolates to just looking at the box. Getting caught up in the drama of the moment is a welcome escape from subjects like Brexit, terrible weather and single-use plastics.

This is the world’s best badminton competition and anyone who has ever picked up a racket will be stunned by the quality of the action. Excellence is not an accident though, no-one succeeds in this tournament just by turning up. Failure, sweat and hard, hard work will all contribute to eventual triumph.

I find there is a bittersweet joy in following sport; especially if emotions are tied to a particular performer or country. Tournaments can be a peculiar kind of torture when we stagger from one day to the next, not quite sure how things will end but not able to walk away. Dare we expect the unexpected?