The spine-tingling chant went up suddenly, unanimously, raucously and steeped in the unbridled ecstasy. "Team China! Team China!" 

A feeling of feverishness enveloped the Guangxi Sports Center Gymnasium as China's electrifying Sudirman Cup ride reached a happy ending on Sunday afternoon after the hosts dismantled top-seeded Japan 3-0 in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, lifting their 11th mixed-team badminton world championship.

What an occasion this turned out to be: nerves shredded all around the gymnasium, where the mental strain was almost insufferable with exhaustion gripping every single human being. And after four hours' emotional rollercoaster, celebration song blaring over the speakers and a wall of fans waving Chinese flags exploded with joy. 

How extraordinary that Zhang Jun and his coaching staff should oversee a well-drilled side with more than a healthy dose of youthful dynamism and unyielding endurance; it was a balance that managed to absorb a late surge by Japan and one that could pay rich dividends for preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

It's not a smooth ride. There were times when China, perhaps in their desperation to get over that final hurdle, looked unusually overwrought. Japan had chances to punish them, and in those moments, it was excruciatingly uneasy to see Zhang's team so vulnerable.

Badminton is a cruel game sometimes, and history weighs heavily on China and more so than usual these past few years. The hosts have entered the Sudirman Cup final 13 times in a row, having won the event a record ten times but shockingly lost the world title at the last edition to South Korea -- only their second defeat since 1993. 

For their arch-rivals, it could not be more different. Japan, who came from behind to knock out a battling Indonesia in the semifinals on Saturday, has long harbored ambitions to win their maiden Sudirman Cup. It's only the second time they reached the final, and the emerging giants have never lifted the holy grail since the tournament began in 1989.

Yet finals are a test of forbearance and temperament, which can be harder to master than fierce cross-court smashes or solid defensive plays.

The perils of overcautiousness and playing it safe at the elite level are often surfaced and discussed, but there is little evidence of that in this Chinese team. Exuberance is encouraged, and it is all about knowing when.

Egged on by a full-throated and partisan home crowd, China was off to a flying start with men's doubles pair of Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen maintaining their flawless record in this campaign after outclassing Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe 21-18, 21-10. The reigning world champions were tested in the opening set by the Japanese duo but blew their opponents away in the second with unremitting attacking prowess.

This straightforward outing contrasted sharply with that of the third-ranked women's singles star Chen Yufei, who was under huge pressure from the outset as Akane Yamaguchi, who became the first Japanese to win the Badminton Asia Championships women's title last month, constantly put her on the back foot and seized the first set. 

But the 21-year-old Chen refused to be intimidated by the occasion and prove her mettle by mounting a stunning recovery to prevail 17-21, 21-16, 21-17 in 81 minutes of thrilling action. Even a dubious refereeing decision at the most crucial stage of the tie could not kill the All England champion's momentum. 

This was Chen's most influential performance to date, as attested by her capability to dig herself out of an 11-6 hole in the decider and regained control with unrivaled poise. Overall, Chen was fast, powerful, technically adept and not afraid to improvise, giving the team enhanced control and calm authority. 

The Chinese starlet may not be mature enough or spectacular, but she is as industrious as she is pugnacious, selflessly putting the collective ahead of any personal pursuit of glory - the kind of athlete every coach cherishes.

With a 2-0 lead in the bag, only a sensational fightback could have prevented China from running away with the title. It was then down to top-ranked Chinese player Shi Yuqi to seal it and the 23-year-old duly delivered as he calmly overcame an early flourish from Kento Momota and roared back from behind to overwhelm Japan's world No.1 15-21, 21-5, 21-11.

Up against arguably the best shuttler in his generation, Shi Yuqi refused to back down and set the tempo of so much of the passage of play, dictating the rhythm of the footwork, and was a source of reassurance when the going gets tough. 

He does not have the subliminal positional sense of Momota but when opponents pressed hard and constantly, his verve and zeal meant he could get away with it: pace and aggression were prioritized above precision and clarity.

For Momota, the emotion surrounding a demoralizing defeat in the final will be difficult to take – but on this occasion, the Japanese can take comfort from the fact that simply nobody would have beaten Shi in this mood. 

"I was getting a little impatient in the opening set, but I threw everything at him [Momota] thereafter. I just focused on playing my own game without considering anything else. It worked," a grinning Shi beamed before hurling his racket to shrieking fans in the stands.

While this was the culmination of China's dream of regaining primacy, there was a lingering feeling this could only be the start. And worryingly for everyone else in the sport, the formidable powerhouse will unswervingly look forward to being reunited with the Sudirman Cup when Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, hosts the next edition of the badminton showpiece event in 2021. 

The debate will probably rage for some time over whether this was actually the most enthralling Sudirman Cup in its illustrious history – but irrespective of that, every participating country played their part in a tournament that will be remembered for captivating badminton, packed gymnasium, cheers from ebullient fans, and, by those that were here, for the kindness and hospitality of the people in Nanning.