Hefei’s youth badminton squad secured 15 gold medals, 15 silver medals, and 12 bronze medals out of 28 total events at the 16th Anhui Provincial Games youth division tournament, setting a new benchmark for the city’s junior program according to local reports. The competition concluded on October 17 at the Suxian County Gymnasium in Suzhou.
Suzhou Gymnasium Matches Conclude After Eight Days of Play
The eight-day tournament brought together youth competitors from across the province to contest 28 gold medals. When the team competition concluded on October 11, Hefei’s delegation had already captured 5 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medal, matching the total gold count from the previous provincial games. Rather than coasting through the remaining schedule, athletes pushed into their primary and secondary events during the individual bracket matches.
Wuhan Yu Navigates Tough Openers in the U14-15 Division
Among the standout performers, U14-15 division competitor Wu Hanyu teamed up with Xin Jinmei to capture the women’s doubles title. Wu, who earlier this year won both team and women’s doubles gold at the provincial championships, faced an uphill battle in her singles draw. Reflecting on her debut at the provincial games, she noted that the atmosphere brought both excitement and nerves. In her opening singles match, she faced an opponent she had never beaten across years of competition, ultimately grinding out a 2:1 victory that she called a relief.
Xiong Yong Prepares the Next Wave of Hefei Talents
A significant share of Hefei’s 15 gold medalists developed under coach Xiong Yong at the Deren Badminton Training Base, where athletes train from elementary school through their secondary education years. Describing his relationship with the players, Xiong noted that strict discipline and a scientific foundation are vital during practice, while parental care shapes their daily lives—a dynamic that leaves his players feeling both fond and intimidated. Xiong attributed the squad’s dominance—finishing nine gold medals ahead of the second-place delegation—to the municipal-district joint training framework and an emphasis on fundamentals. Staff applied one-on-one technical drills for key athletes upon arrival at the venue, which paid off during high-pressure points.
Provincial Success Fuels National and International Pipelines
Under the “city team, district building” co-construction model, the Hefei badminton program has accumulated 73 provincial gold medals, 3 national gold medals, and 6 international gold medals during the current cycle. The pipeline has successfully funneled prospects into national development squads, with Wang Lingxi, Zha Jiatian, Zhu Yuchen, and Li Mingqi earning selections for the Chinese Youth Badminton training roster, alongside Chen子文, Yu Aojian, and Zhang Jiahuan entering the Chinese Junior setup.
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