Second child on the way doubles Axelsen’s motivation to help Denmark win team title

Going’s good: Viktor Axelsen is hitting the right chords on and off the courts in his career. — AP

World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen announced that his family will be expanding as his wife is expecting their second child and there’s now an additional motivation for the Danish giant to keep making his strong and towering presence felt in the badminton world.

Yesterday, Axelsen oozed class when he demolished Youcef Sabri Medel in 20 minutes with a 21-9, 21-11 win to give Denmark the first point in the Group B tie.

Denmark went on to beat Algeria 5-0 to stay on track to make the top eight knockout stage.

“A lot of things have changed for me since my last trip to Bangkok here for the Thomas Cup (2018). I am a father now, and expecting our second child. So much has happened outside of the court,” said the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games champion.

“On court, I’m fortunate to get many good results too and achieve many of my dreams.

“I’m still here today, hungry for more.’’

On Denmark’s chances at this year’s edition, Axelsen made it clear they were there to win it.

“The Thomas Cup is always hard to predict. There are strong teams and many good competitors. This time though, the title chase is really open, it will come down to who are the best team on that day,” said Axelsen.

Besides the world champ, Denmark also have quite a reliable singles line-up in Anders Antonsen, Rasmus Gemke, Hans Kristian Vittinghus and Victor Svendsen. Their doubles are led by world No. 10 Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

Denmark have been one of the most consistent teams since winning their first Cup in 2016. They showed the depth in their team by reaching the semi-finals in the last two editions in Bangkok and Aarhus.

With badminton slowly opening up, Axelsen hoped the Badminton World Federation (BWF) would come out with better planning ahead of time.

“Yes, it’s good to be back to normal to some extent but China are still not in a good position. They are still struggling with lockdowns. I’m not sure whether the China Open will go on,” said Axelsen.

“But for players like me who have family, it’s good to know the schedule ahead, probably one year in advance, because planning is important to us.

“There should be transparency when it comes to tournaments and planning.”