World youth honoured in BWF Thomas and Uber Cup, praised vitality of Chengdu

“Chengdu is a very beautiful city and the sports center is really nice,” said Danish player Viktor Axelsen, the current world badminton men's singles champion, after his first victory of 2024 BWF Thomas Cup. He expressed the “spicy impression” of Chengdu in Chinese fluently, “I heard the food here is delicious and a little spicy.”

During the training interval, Viktor Axelsen learned local style dances with several aunties on a square near the hotel. Gestures and motions were looks stylish. “Perfectly integrated into local life, but seems to have dragged down the average level of the dance team, ” he said on social media.

Viktor Axelsen (red) in the match.

May 4th is the penultimate game day of 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu. Over the past eight days, 32 teams from 20 countries and regions have fought for their glory. Young players beat for the most important team tournaments of badminton, also gain friendships and feel the youth and vitality of Chengdu, a park city under the snow mountain.

South Korean athletes took photos with Sichuan’s face changing actors.

The mascots of 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals, "Xiong Dudu" and "Yu Rongrong", are designed based on giant pandas, the name card of Chengdu city. In the homeland of giant pandas, athletes from all over the world not only felt the spectacular scenes of Chinese modernization on the street, but also had “close contact” with the ancient Shu civilization.

The venue of 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Chengdu.

Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Center, the venue of 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals, also held badminton events in Chengdu Universiade in 2023. For this tournament, the sports center installed “hawk-eye” system, to improve the fairness and accuracy of the game with 10 high-speed cameras and computer image processing technology.

Badminton athletes fight for their glory in Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Center.

BWF Annual Conference participant Martinez Balanza Alberto said, he knew Chengdu is a city with thousands of years of history, only when he came here can truly experience the modern style of an ancient city. The high-standard service of the game, a wide variety of beautiful scenery and delicious food, and ubiquitous cultural life atmosphere are far beyond his expectations and unforgettable. An Se-young, South Korea’s “genius girl”, women’s singles world number one, said that with pandas and food, Chengdu is one of the best cities in the world. “I must find a chance to have a city walk in Chengdu.”

An Se-young expressed her love for Chengdu in an interview.

2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals is also a great event for young volunteers in Chengdu. “Chengdu holds competitions weekly and international games every year. Foreign athletes have praised the atmosphere of sports once talking about Chengdu city. It’s really a vibrant city of sports, a city of youth,” said Sun Shaohan, a sophomore from Chengdu Sport University. He is an amateur badminton player, a fan of Viktor Axelsen. He said that although he could not watch Viktor Axelsen’s match because of his volunteer work, his work in 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals is a best memory in his college life.

Over 500,000 people in Chengdu do long term badminton fitness.

Russian self-media streamer Daniel settles in Chengdu because of the atmosphere of relax and inclusive of the city. “Sports is an important part of life, and Chengdu is always full of energy. Sports stadiums here are also very good,” said Daniel. He is very happy that 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals is held in Chengdu, and have arranged several badminton games with friends. Daniel is a fan of Chinese player Chen Yufei, following her matches for a long time.

Kong Mingmin, one of the chief referees of 2024 BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals, deputy director of table tennis and badminton teaching and research office of Chengdu Sport University, said that referees chosen by the BWF set up an online chat group named “Giant Pandas& Mala Cup” very early. This is one reason that the city of Chengdu impressed referees around the world. People gathered in Chengdu and felt the beauty of the city.

Wang Shengxing of China won the gold medal of men's singles badminton at the Chengdu Universiade.

Chengdu is an important place for China's badminton. In past 10 years, Badminton Asia Championships has held in Chengdu, while Lin Dan, LEE Chong Wei and other famous athletes have competed here. China national badminton team usually come to Chengdu to assemble for training before world tournaments. Behind the glorious achievements of the Rio Olympic Games and the Tokyo Olympic Games, Chengdu’s efforts are indispensable. In addition to professional competitions, international youth competitions were held in Chengdu, such as Reid Cup International Youth Badminton Friendly Competition, where teenagers gained friendships.

Lin Dan, the Olympic Champion, played badminton in Chengdu in 2022.

Lin Dan, the Olympic Champion, once said he really likes Chengdu, because of not only enthusiastic citizens and delicious food, but also great badminton venues and hot atmosphere of badminton sports. According to statistics, badminton is the second largest sport in Chengdu after running, and the consumption of badminton ranks top one among Chengdu citizens in terms of sports consumption. By the end of March this year, the number of doing long-term badminton fitness in Chengdu exceeded 500,000, with more than 440 badminton venues which are over 328 square meters.

Morning jogging along the Tianfu Green Way, practicing Tai Chi by the Xinglong Lake, riding to the Longquan Mountain to see the sunrise, doing boxing under twin towers… From Chengdu Universiade to BWF Thomas and Uber Cup, and then to the upcoming World Games in 2025, the high level preparation and organizing of competitions and the ubiquitous atmosphere of nationwide fitness receive praises every time. With several international competitions held in Chengdu, sports has become a fashion trend and an important gene of the city. Doing sports is also an indispensable part of daily life for Chengdu people. The two-way efforts between competitions and the city take it for granted for world-class competitions to be held in Chengdu.

Doing sports is an indispensable part of daily life for Chengdu people.

Met in BWF Thomas and Uber Cup, young people from all around the world again encountered Chengdu, a city with ancient charm and modern atmosphere, fashion and elegant. In the “city of badminton”, the competition is still ongoing of BWF Thomas and Uber Cup.

Author: He Shaoqing, Yue Yitong