After a source close to Badzine had first hinted that the two-time Olympic champion would not travel to Birmingham for the upcoming Yonex All England, and this was followed shortly afterward by a denial from Lin Dan himself in an interview in the Chinese news agency Tencent, it is now official that Lin Dan will not fight to keep his crown. His name was taken off the entry list, which was updated on the official BWF website today.
Lee Chong Wei now looks like to be the main favourite to win a fourth title in Birmingham at the beginning of March.
No related posts.
Loading ...
Disappointing. Will he ever come back? The longer he leaves it, the more difficult it will be.
His absence will do no good to badminton either. For player to be most successful and decorated with countless titles, an icon known to be equal the status of Lionel Messi, Federer and Usian Bolt decides to give the most prestigious English badminton tournament a miss.
It’s like Federer telling everyone he is skipping Wimbledon just because he needs a long break. That would be un-acceptable to everyone who wants to enjoy the greatest performance in the greatest tournament.
Lin Dan, whatever you do, please re-consider the consequences of your action and spare thought for the development of badminton as a sport.
Its fantastic that he is not playing! The less Chinese playing in the SS the better!
I doubt many tournament organizers would feel the same way, and certainly the majority of fans wouldn’t either. Nor is your sentiment unheard-of, though. I seem to remember Lin Dan himself once saying in an interview that he knew many people liked to watch him play but that they didn’t always want to see him win. That doesn’t sound like a nice thing to have to admit but he certainly has enough genuine fans that he can get over it.