This is a tale of the Fantastic Four. No, not the imaginary quartet of Marvel Comics.These four were real. I am talking about four badminton superheroes.
There was Lin Dan with his artistry, menacing attacking shots and unbelievable retrieves, Taufik Hidayat and his powerful backhand smash, Peter Gade-Christensen’s tight netshot, and Lee Chong Wei’s overhead smashes and trickery.They used their racquets like magic wands and for the fans, it has been two decades of pure class.
The world has seen their on-court antics and displays but they were great individuals, too. Having covered all four, I know.Language was a barrier and snobbish head coach Li Yongbo had a tight rein over his players. But over the years, he softened and was more appreciative of his fans and could even crack jokes at press conferences.Win or defeat, and even after an energy-sapping match, he would have a big smile for the media and lots of enthusiasm.He came to the court shaken but went all the way to win the title. He was not called Mr Nice Guy for nothing and was a fitting ambassador for badminton.
He raised countless issues with the Badminton World Federation whenever he felt that the players’ rights were violated.For one so fiery, he was a truly a gentle guy deep inside.He turned from this mischievous little junior, who always got into trouble with his coaches, to a global star and a national icon.
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