PETALING JAYA: China arrived at the Thomas Cup Finals without their troubled head coach Zhang Jun, but that did little to derail their charge as they powered to a 12th title.
On Sunday, the team led by world No. 1 and captain Shi Yuqi showed grit to fend off a spirited France before sealing a 3-1 victory in a five-hour final at the Forum Horsens in Denmark.
Their former chief Zhang Jun, who took over after Li Yongbo stepped down, is currently under investigation by disciplinary and supervisory authorities over alleged abuse of power and misappropriation of funds within the Chinese Badminton Association.
China also had to contend with fitness concerns, with Yuqi nursing a stomach ailment but the top seed still rose to the occasion, setting the tone in the opening match by battling past Christo Popov 21-16, 16-21, 21-17.
Men’s doubles shuttler He Jiting commended their captain for battling through illness and delivering their opening point.
“Yuqi faced such a big challenge. Combined with his physical condition, where he had gastroenteritis and wasn’t feeling well, and was under a lot of pressure, he persisted throughout.
“As a member of this team and as a leader, he acted as a stabilising force,” said Jiting.
For Yuqi, it was about staying calm and composed despite his physical condition.
“I was behind in all three games in the final and tried to calm myself to find the right way to play against my opponent,” said Yuqi.
“I kept telling myself to stay clear-minded and patient under my current condition.”
France’s Alex Lanier however broke the rhythm when he stepped up to beat Li Shifeng 21-13, 21-10, to add more pressure on China.
Inspired by Yuqi’s commanding show, Weng Hongyang also stood resolute for one hour and 36 minutes to beat a stubborn Toma Junior Popov 22-20, 20-22, 21-19 in the third singles.
“I knew it was going to be tough even before the match. It could well be one of the longest matches I’ve ever played,” said Hongyang.
Once the singles had done their part, it was easier for Jiting and partner Ren Xiangyu to complete the job.
In just 38 minutes, the duo clinched the winning point with a 21-13, 21-16 statement win over Eloi Adam-Leo Rossi.
By braving through all kinds of challenges, China continue to show the world that they are the best team with depth and determination to underline their status as the badminton powerhouse.
They will continue to be the team to beat at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games from Sept 19-Oct 4 – and it will take herculean efforts from the other struggling Asian teams to prevent them from making a big sweep of medals.
China will not only be looking at defending their men’s singles title last won by Shifeng and the men’s team crown but they are also eyeing glory in the men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
