Badminton star Chen Yufei gets goosebumps when she recalls Team China's epic home-court Sudirman Cup triumph last month. China was crowned champion of the prestigious mixed-team event for the 13th time after defeating South Korea 3-0 in the final in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. But despite that emphatic result, China's third successive Sudirman title was anything but straightforward, with the host having to dig deep in a dramatic 3-2 semifinal victory over Japan.

Chen Yufei added another gold medal to her collection by winning last week's Indonesian Open. CHINA DAILY

Chen Yufei insisted that stunning comeback would not have happened without the trust and never-say-die spirit that binds the Chinese team.

"For me, the whole campaign was pretty scary, especially the semifinal. It was like we had already fallen off the cliff and, in the most epic way, we came back from the dead. Even now, I cannot believe that we eventually won it," said women's singles ace Chen Yufei in an exclusive interview with China Daily show On Your Marks.

"The Chinese badminton team is such a great group of people. We all want to ease the pressure on our teammates by winning our own matches and producing our best at the championship. And we all believe in each other's abilities. We trust each other.

"After I was defeated in the semifinal, all my coaches and teammates still believed in me and gave me another chance to keep playing in the women's singles game in the final. I just told them I will bring back glory."

China breezed through the group stage at the tournament, beating Egypt, Singapore and Denmark, all 5-0, before seeing off Indonesia 3-0 in the first knockout round. However, the epic seven-hour semifinal tussle with Japan pushed Team China to its absolute limits as it battled back from the brink of elimination to prevail 3-2.

After Chen Yufei lost to world No 1 Akane Yamaguchi in the semifinal, men's doubles pair Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi saved four match points to rescue Team China in an enthralling encounter. Women's doubles pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan then completed the stunning comeback to seal China's spot in the final.

Chen Yufei seized her shot at redemption in the final, with the 25-year-old reigning Olympics women's singles champion overcoming South Korean ace An Se-young to help Team China on its way to a 3-0 triumph.

"We dared not watch the TV when we were preparing for the semifinal. We were not sure if we would get the chance to play at all if the men's doubles lost to Japan," women's doubles star Jia told China Daily.

"We waited for more than seven hours. It was really hard mentally for us to wait that long. It was like taking a roller-coaster ride over 100 times. It was incredible that we even had the chance to play."

As a test of a team's all-around strength, Sudirman Cup ties consist of five matches — men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. So teamwork is a key element to success in the competition.

"Actually, before we stepped on the court, our hands and feet were cold, and we were too tense. There were kids who escorted us to the court, and I just felt their hands were very warm," Jia added.

"But our coaches and teammates gave us that sort of firm look to reassure us. And they told us that they trusted us and we could do it. Our fitness coach told us to sprint up and down the court to warm ourselves up."

Chen Qingchen echoed those sentiments, saying the very presence of Jia alongside her helped shake off those excess nerves. "I just stopped thinking too much. All I needed to do was to deliver my best with my playing partner," she said.

After the Sudirman Cup, the three Team China stars continued their momentum. Chen Qingchen and Jia won the women's doubles title at the Singapore Open earlier this month, while Chen Yufei won the women's singles title at the Indonesia Open last week.

Role models

As Team China's core players, Chen Yufei, Chen Qingchen and Jia are all considered role models for the next generation of hopefuls.

Indeed, this cycle has become part of the fabric of the team. Chen Yufei recalled how she looked up to role models of her own during her formative years with the national squad.

"I still remember the first time I was called up to national team. I saw legends like Lin Dan at the training sessions. I was so young and dared not speak to anyone. But I wanted to try my best to prove that I could also make it to the top," she said.

"I'm not that kind of super-talented player, so I need to try hard to improve. Different players have different attributes, so I just need to push my own limits and always try my best."

The 25-year-old Chen Yufei now considers herself something of a veteran, and she's happy to be a guiding force for the newcomers to the squad, either directly or indirectly.

"I'm kind of shy actually. But I just told myself to communicate more with the younger kids. We can improve together — they can inspire me as much as I can inspire them," she said.

That sort of mutual respect has been crucial to the success of the women's doubles duo, with Jia telling China Daily that, even during her junior career, Chen Qingchen's reputation as an elite talent preceded her.

"I knew her many years before we teamed up. She was a promising young kid who played very well very early. I knew her name, and she had long hair with very beautiful eyes. So cute!" recalled Jia.

"We have been playing partners for almost 10 years in the national team. When we first got here, we were still rivals, and one day our coaches told us that you two need to pair up to play the doubles. I never thought we would be playing partners for so long and become the world No 1 pair. The entire journey has been incredible."

Chen Qingchen also feels that time has flown by for the duo, saying: "I never imagined we would end up like we are today. I didn't know how long we could play together or how far we could go. I just spent each day working hard on my badminton."

Even as world No 1, the hardworking principle still applies for Jia.

"It's easier to get a certain point than to defend it. For us, we've been in the world No 1 spot for over 100 weeks. Every time we play an international event, all the cameras are fixed on us and we are in the spotlight," said Jia.

"We need to always think about how to stay at the top. The trick is just to try harder than everyone else. And with the hard work, we also need some luck."

Team China is now focused on adding to its medal collection at the forthcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, and next summer's Paris Olympics.

"I'm from Hangzhou, but I have never competed in a major championship in my hometown. So I am really looking forward to the Asian Games," said Chen Yufei.

"I always hope my performances on the court can inspire others, and I want to bring that positive energy. For the entire Chinese badminton team, I just hope we can win more gold medals. Yes, just win them all."

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)