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Olympic Gold Medalists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng induct into the Badminton Hall of Fame

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 (Xinhua) – Olympic gold medalists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China have been officially inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame in a virtual ceremony organized by the world governing body for sport. on Wednesday.

In a video message to the ceremony, BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen said that being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a well-deserved honor for China’s top three players.

“His performances are an illustration of the excellence to which the human spirit can aspire. They have contributed enormously to badminton and I am sure they will continue to inspire the players of the future, ”he said.

Zhang Jun, chairman of the Chinese Badminton Association, who also delivered a video message, recalled how being inducted into the Hall of Fame had motivated him.

“I sincerely hope that Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, as prominent representatives of Chinese badminton, will continue their fighting spirit to contribute to the development of badminton in China and in the world,” he said.

For their part, the Chinese badminton greats expressed their appreciation to those who have helped and supported them in their badminton careers, including coaches, teammates, families and fans.

“This honor encourages me and is an affirmation of all my hard work and the great team behind me throughout my career,” said Zhang.

“It is a great recognition of my sports career and this will always be a highlight in my life,” said Cai.

“I am fortunate enough to have been paired with an excellent partner in Cai Yun during my career. Being named to the BWF Hall of Fame is a great honor and I will always continue to do my best to influence more people to enjoy badminton. ” Fu said.

The trio were key figures in China’s formidable dominance at major championships during the 2000s and early 2010s, displaying tremendous skill, talent, sportsmanship and longevity.

After winning the gold medal in women’s singles at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Zhang overcame immense local pressure at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to become the only women’s singles flier to defend her championship at the event.

A brilliant and well-rounded player, Zhang won almost every major event on the circuit, including the BWF World Championship in 2003, and guided China to team victories at the Uber Cup (2004, 2006) and the Sudirman Cup (2005). , 2007). .

Cai and Fu also achieved unprecedented success, becoming the only men’s doubles pair to win four BWF World Championships. The two won an Olympic silver at Beijing 2008 and a gold at London 2012, as well as team gold at the Asian Games in 2006 and 2010. They also contributed greatly to China’s dominance for more than a decade at the Thomas Cup and the Sudirman Cup.

Following Cai’s retirement, Fu teamed up with Zhang Nan to claim a second consecutive Olympic gold at Rio 2016. Enditem

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