Young Chinese badminton team ready for 2019 Sudirman Cup

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‍As the 2019 Sudirman Cup just one day away, let's seize the moment to take a closer look at a young squad team China has lined up. Without badminton's big names such as Lin Dan, Li Xuerui, and Zhang Nan, Team China's Sudirman Cup's 20-squad list includes 8 newcomers to the game and only Chen Long from the list has participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"We clearly take into consideration the ranking of the player in our selection; however, those young players do have an upper hand," Chinese badminton head coach Zhang Jun said, commenting on the selection decision.

There are good reasons for Chinese badminton to start thinking about giving more opportunities to young players.

Chen Yufei of China competes against Sung Ji Hyun of Korea during the Women's Singles Semi-final match on day five of the Blibli Indonesia Open at Istora Gelora Bung Karno on July 7, 2018, in Jakarta, Indonesia./VCG Photo

Since the five golds China claimed at the 2012 London Olympics, Chinese badminton has suffered a shortage of players playing at their prime while the old generation's retiring.

"The year of 2016 was a low point for Chinese badminton", Zhang Jun admitted.

And it is true. Starting from 2014, Team China has lost the Thomas Cup twice, then the Sudirman Cup in 2017 and the Uber Cup in 2018, all championships perceived as a must-have in Chinese sports history.

Having more younger-generation players on the team accordingly became the approach Chinese badminton has been practicing since. And it does pay off, given their shining performances at several worldwide competitions. However, as Zhang Jun put it, young players, with the energy they bring along, come with the problem of instability every now and then.

"It is normal for a young team to have ups and downs. We need to recognize their advantages and continue to give them more opportunities to mature," said Zhang Jun.

Shi Yuqi of China celebrates after defeating Kento Momota of Japan during the men's singles final match on day 5 of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals at the Tianhe Gymnasium on December 16, 2018, in Guangzhou, China. /VCG Photo

Zhang also gave his preview of China's possible confrontations against Japan in the final of the upcoming 2019 Sudirman Cup, which will be held on May 26th.

Japanese badminton welcomed its uprising in recent years. Their 2018 world champion Kento Momota ranked world's 1st in men's single, posing a threat for the young Chinese badminton, leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

However, head coach Zhang Jun doesn't view it as a challenge China is destined to lose.

"Because it is a team competition, we are not necessarily in an inferior position against Japan," he said. "If we have the right strategy and have the right person on the court, we will have a better shot."

And this better shot may come from a change in the competing mentality. With many young players who either don't have the experiences or are not used to "defending" any title, they are more likely to "competing" for one. With no such baggage, it might be easier for them to tap into their full potential.

"We are not on the court to have a safe match; we are on the court to compete to win," and with that, we are looking forward to one more exciting Sudirman Cup.