Dezhou Sports School Badminton Team Clinches Team Gold at National Youth Championships

By Daniel Richardson, Editor-in-Chief

Few moments capture the spirit of youth sports like a team standing atop the podium, gold medals around their necks, after months of relentless training. For the young athletes of Dezhou Sports School in Shandong Province, that moment arrived on Sunday at the 2025 National U-Series Badminton Championships in Jiaozuo, Henan, where they secured the U12 boys’ team title in a hard-fought final. The victory marks a breakthrough for a program that has rapidly risen through China’s competitive youth badminton ranks, signaling its emergence as a new force in the sport’s development pipeline.

What Happened: A Championship-Clinching Performance

The U12 boys’ team final unfolded on the courts of Jiaozuo’s Taiji Sports Center, where Dezhou Sports School faced off against a determined Guangdong squad. The match, played under the watchful eyes of Chinese Badminton Association officials and hundreds of spectators, was a showcase of precision, speed, and composure far beyond the players’ years.

Dezhou’s path to the final was no fluke. In the group stage, the team swept through its matches undefeated, including a dominant 3-0 victory over Jiangsu in the quarterfinals. The semifinal against Zhejiang was tighter, with Dezhou prevailing 2-1 in a match that saw both teams trade momentum in a tense third-set decider. But it was in the final where the team’s depth and resilience shone brightest.

Guangdong struck first, with their top singles player securing a straight-sets win in the opening match. Dezhou’s Li Haoran, a 12-year-old with a reputation for clutch performances, responded in the second match, delivering a 21-18, 21-16 victory to level the tie. The deciding doubles match was a nail-biter, with Dezhou’s duo of Wang Zixuan and Chen Yichen saving two match points before closing out the match 23-21, 21-19. The 2-1 team victory secured Dezhou’s first-ever U12 team gold at the National U-Series Championships, a milestone celebrated by coaches, parents, and teammates alike.

Beyond the Gold: A Well-Rounded Showing

While the U12 boys’ team title was the headline, Dezhou Sports School’s performance in Jiaozuo was a testament to the program’s growing strength across multiple age groups and disciplines. The team similarly earned a seventh-place finish in the U13 boys’ doubles category, with the pairing of Zhang Minghao and Liu Jianfeng narrowly missing out on a medal after a hard-fought quarterfinal loss. In the U13 girls’ team event, Dezhou finished sixth, a result that belied the team’s grit in a highly competitive field.

Perhaps most promising for the program’s future was the advancement of two Dezhou athletes to the national training camp. Li Haoran (U12 boys’ singles) and Wang Zixuan (U12 boys’ doubles) were among the standout performers in Jiaozuo, earning invitations to the Chinese Badminton Association’s elite training camp in May. The camp, held in Beijing, brings together the top youth talent from across the country for advanced coaching and development, often serving as a stepping stone to national team consideration.

Why This Matters: A Rising Power in Youth Badminton

Dezhou Sports School’s success is more than just a feel-good story—it reflects broader trends in China’s youth badminton development. Historically, the sport’s talent pipeline has been dominated by traditional powerhouses like Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Zhejiang, where badminton infrastructure and coaching have been established for decades. Dezhou, a city of 5 million in western Shandong Province, has no such pedigree. Yet in recent years, its sports school has become a model for how smaller cities can compete at the national level.

The program’s rise has been fueled by a combination of local investment, strategic coaching hires, and a focus on early-age talent identification. Dezhou’s badminton facilities, including a dedicated training center with eight courts, have been upgraded in the past three years, while the school has recruited former national team coaches to lead its youth development. The results are beginning to show: in addition to the U12 team gold, Dezhou athletes have medaled in three of the last four National U-Series Championships, including a U14 girls’ singles bronze in 2024.

“This is just the beginning,” said Dezhou Sports School head coach Liu Wei, who has overseen the program’s growth since 2021. “Our goal isn’t just to win medals—it’s to develop athletes who can compete at the highest levels. The fact that two of our players are heading to the national training camp is proof that we’re on the right track.”

The Bigger Picture: How the National U-Series Championships Work

For readers unfamiliar with China’s youth badminton structure, the National U-Series Championships are the country’s premier annual competitions for players aged 17 and under. Organized by the Chinese Badminton Association, the tournaments are divided into three age groups—U10-11, U12-14, and U15-17—and are split into regional qualifiers (North and South) followed by a national final. The U12-14 finals, held this year in Jiaozuo from May 18-25, featured 516 athletes from 23 provinces, making it one of the most competitive youth badminton events in the world.

Qualification for the finals is no small feat. Athletes must first excel in their regional tournaments, with only the top eight teams in doubles and team events, and the top 16 in singles, advancing to the national stage. The stakes are high: performances at the U-Series Championships often determine invitations to national training camps, where the next generation of Chinese badminton stars are groomed. Past alumni of the U-Series include Olympic gold medalists like Chen Long and Li Xuerui, underscoring the tournament’s role as a proving ground for future champions.

What’s Next for Dezhou’s Rising Stars

With the 2025 U-Series Championships now in the books, Dezhou’s focus shifts to the next challenge: the Chinese Badminton Association’s national training camp, which begins on June 1 in Beijing. Li Haoran and Wang Zixuan will join approximately 50 other top youth athletes for two weeks of intensive training under national team coaches, including former Olympians and world champions. The camp is a critical opportunity for young players to test themselves against the best of their peers and catch the eye of national team selectors.

For the rest of Dezhou’s athletes, the offseason will be short. The U15-17 National U-Series Championships are scheduled for December in Dongguan, and the school’s coaching staff has already begun planning for the next cycle. “We’ll analyze what worked and what didn’t in Jiaozuo,” said Coach Liu. “Our U13 and U14 teams showed promise, and we’ll be looking to build on that.”

One thing is certain: Dezhou Sports School has announced itself as a program to watch. In a sport where China’s dominance is built on a deep and competitive youth system, the rise of a new contender from outside the traditional power centers is a story worth following.

Key Takeaways

• Historic Gold: Dezhou Sports School won the U12 boys’ team title at the 2025 National U-Series Badminton Championships, its first team gold in the tournament’s history.
• Broad Success: The team also finished seventh in U13 boys’ doubles and sixth in U13 girls’ team, with two athletes advancing to the national training camp.
• Rising Program: Dezhou, a city with no badminton pedigree, has become a national contender through investment in facilities and coaching.
• Pathway to the Top: The U-Series Championships serve as a critical pipeline for China’s badminton development, with top performers earning spots in national training camps.
• What’s Next: Two Dezhou athletes will attend the Chinese Badminton Association’s elite training camp in June, while the program sets its sights on the U15-17 championships in December.

How to Follow

For official updates on Dezhou Sports School and China’s youth badminton development, follow the Chinese Badminton Association. The next major event on the calendar is the U15-17 National U-Series Championships, scheduled for December 2025 in Dongguan.

What do you think of Dezhou’s rise in youth badminton? Is this a sign of a more competitive landscape in China’s badminton development? Share your thoughts in the comments below.