Cai Yun officially retired from badminton

Cai Yun, 36, formally confirmed his retirement from competitive badminton on his personal Weibo (similar to Facebook and Twitter in China) yesterday.

Cai, who was born in 1980, joined the Chinese national badminton team in 1999. Throughout his 19 years spent at the China national team, Cai Yun managed to blossom into a men's doubles superstar together with Fu Haifeng.

Cai Yun is right handed while Fu Haifeng is left handed. Cai is also a very speedy player and reads the game very well at the front of the court; while Fu is a power smasher. Together, they were able to play solid defense as left and right handed pair and became one of the most formidable men's doubles pairings in the world.
Together, they have won four World titles (2006, 2009, 2010, and 2011), an Olympic gold medal (2008), two All-England titles (2005, 2009), led China to five straight Thomas Cup title since 2004, and 5 Sudirman Cup titles (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013).
However, their 12-year partnership came to an end on March 2014 after they had experienced a series of subpar performances post London Olympics.
Cai was then assigned to partner Lu Kai, in which they won the 2014 Singapore Open and the 2015 Swiss Open.
"My 19 years careers in the national team has finally come to an end. I still remember the excitement of the first day I took the train and arrived in Beijing on April 28, 1999. I feel very calm right now, and I am looking forward to the new challenges ahead of me," wrote Cai Yun on his Weibo.
Cai will start his new career as a commentator, and hopefully could continue to promote the sport of badminton through his new role.

Rio 2016 Olympics - Lee Chong Wei avoids Chen Long until final

After claiming the sixth Indonesia Open title of his career by downing Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark 17-21, 21-19, 21-17 at the Indonesia Open 3 weeks ago, badminton maestro Lee Chong Wei cemented his status as the world’s top ranked men’s badminton player on Thursday.

In the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings, the Malaysian star remained No. 1 and the rest of the top 10 holds steady after last week's rankings.

After regaining the World No. 1 spot, Lee was guaranteed that he would not have to face World No. 2 Chen Long until the men's singles final at the Rio Olympics, should they both make it.
Therefore, there's a 50-50 chance of either Lee Chong Wei or Chen Long will face two time Olympic champion Lin Dan before the final.
22-year-old Denmark player Viktor Axelsen will make his Olympic debut as the No. 4 seed while another Denmark player Jan Jorgensen would be the No. 5 seed in Rio.
There was no change in the top 10 women's singles rankings over the past week, with Carolina Marin held on to the top spot with 83,680 points, followed by Wang Yihan, Li Xuerui, Ratchanok Intanon, and Nozomi Okuhara
Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong remained the clear men's doubles World No. 1 with 94,079 points. World No. 2 Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan were 21,239 points behind, followed by Kim Gi Jung/Kim Sa Rang. China's Zhang Nan/Fu Haifeng marginally edging Chai Biao/Hong Wei to claim the fourth spot.
In women's doubles, Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi, Tang Yuanting/Yu Yang, Tian Qing/Zhao Yunlei, Nitya Krishinda Maheswari/Greysia Polii and Jung Kyung Eun/Shin Seung Chan rounded out the top five.
There was no movement at the top 5 of the mixed rankings as well, with Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei continued their domination at World No. 1, Ko Sung Hyun/Kim Ha Na retained the second position, while Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir, Joachim Fischer Nielsen/Christinna Pedersen, Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto were in No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 spots.

Lee Chong Wei withdraws from Taiwan Open to prepare for Rio

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei has decided to withdraw from the Taiwan Open on Tuesday. The Taiwan Open which will be held from June 28 to July 3 will be Lee's last tournament before the Rio Olympics.

Lee Chong Wei strained a muscle in his left hip before the Indonesia Open final and later pulled out of the Australian Open. After a careful assessment and to avoid aggravating the injury, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have agreed to pull him out of the Taiwan Open.

"We pulled him out because we’re not completely sure if he’s ready to play after his injury in Australia," said BAM's technical director Morten Frost.
"He is showing good progress with our training programme. The nice and relaxed atmosphere in our training facility also help Chong Wei in his mental preparation," added Frost.
"All our players have been working very hard. We are currently deciding on the sparring partners for the Olympics. We have requested more entry passes for the sparring partners from the Olympic Council of Malaysia because we currently only have two day passes for them," said Frost.
After Lee's withdrawal, the No. 1 seed Chen Long of China has become the overwhelming favorite at Taiwan Open.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin will lead the Malaysia's challenge in the men's singles event together with Goh Soon Huat, Chong Wei Feng, Liew Daren, Goh Giap Chin, Tan Chun Seang and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif.
World No. 12 Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong, Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi and Hoon Thien How/Teo Kok Siang will participate in the men's doubles category; while Tee Jing Yi and Ho Yen Mei will represent Malaysia in women's singles; Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying and Tan Kian-Meng/Lai Pei Jing in mixed doubles and Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei, Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean are set to play in women's doubles.

Lee Chong Wei: Lin Dan remains the biggest threat in Rio Olympics

Despite being knocked out by Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the second round of Indonesia Open two weeks ago, Lin Dan remains the biggest enemy for World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei in Rio

Lin Dan who is regarded as the greatest badminton player of all time, and who twice denied Lee the men's single's gold medal at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, could be very tough to beat in Rio.

"Both Lin Dan and Chen Long pose serious threats to me in Rio, but at major tournaments, Lin Dan is a bigger threat to me than Chen Long," said Lee.
Lee also stressed that would not underestimate both Lin Dan and Chen Long even though both of them had not been doing well in the recent tournaments.
"They may have lost in Premier Super Series tournaments but they can rise to the occasion if they want to, especially in major tournaments."
"Since the Olympics happen once every four years, it is a combination of the mental game and physical strength that gets the players to the podium."
"Having said that, players such as Jan O Jorgensen and Viktor Axelsen from Denmark, Srikanth Kidambi (India), Tommy Sugiarto (Indonesia) and others from Europe, Asia and Hong Kong are all very tough opponents as well."
"I will spend my next two months to strengthen my mental and physical toughness."
Although Lee Chong Wei was seeded second in the upcoming Yonex Chinese Taipei Open that will be held from June 28 to July 3, Technical director of Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Morten Frost Hansen told reporters that they haven't decided whether they'll send Lee to the tournament.
Even if he withdraws from the Taiwan Open, Lee Chong Wei would remain the World No. 1 in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings until the Olympics.

Carsten Mogensen & Mathias Boe are going to Olympics!

After suffering a ruptured aortic aneurysms in his brain, and went through a brain surgery during the European Team Championship in Russia in February, no one ever thought Carsten Mogensen would able to come back and compete at the highest level of badminton.

Defying all odds, four months after his life threatening illness, Mogensen making the impossible, possible by reaching the Indonesia Open men's doubles second round two weeks ago together with his men's doubles partner Mathias Boe. But, their Olympic hopes were still in doubt because Badminton Association of Denmark (BAD) were still deciding whether to send World No. 9 Carsten Mogensen/Mathias Boe or World No. 8 Mads Pieler Kolding/Mads Conrad-Pedersen to compete in the Rio men's doubles event.

Their worries of the Olympic selection have finally cleared up on Tuesday when Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) confirmed that Mogensen/Boe have been selected as the only Danish men's pair in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"It has obviously been a tough few months for me, but I have received strong support from coaches, my family and many more. I am extremely pleased and proud of my current condition," said Mogensen in a statement.
"After the surgery, the first thing I told my family was I would be back. I will decide when I would retire from badminton, and it wasn't the right time yet. Mathias and I were not satisfied with where we were, and we would like to win more medals," added Mogensen.
"Now we are ready to give everything we have in our preparation for the Olympics," said Carsten Mogensen.
BAD explained the reason why they have taken so long before reaching the decision to send Carsten Mogensen/Mathias Boe to Olympic was because they wanted to make sure Mogensen could cope with the highest level of competition after such a serious illness.
"We saw Mogensen was able to deliver at a very high performance level in Jakarta, and we believed he and Mathias Boe would be strong medal contenders at the Olympics. Mogensen also was able to handle all kinds of situations very well," said Finn Trærup, Director of Elite Sport at Badminton Association of Denmark.

Ko Sung-hyun/Kim Ha-na are eyeing Olympic gold

At the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, the world No. 1-ranked men's badminton tandem of Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong are considered the biggest medal hope for South Korea. But they are not the only pair that the country is counting on for a medal.Ko Sung-hyun and Kim Ha-na are ranked No. 2 in the mixed doubles. They have been gearing up for the Rio Games well, winning five tournaments last year and also triumphing at the German Open in March and the Singapore Open in April. The two finished runners-up at the Indonesia Open last week, but in the semifinals they beat the top-ranked Chinese pair of Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei.

Our confidence level is high after we collected good results in recent tournaments," Ko said on Thursday at the National Training Center in Seoul. "If we can remedy our shortcomings, I think we will also get a good result at the Rio Games."
When asked about what they need to improve, Ko and Kim said they will first reduce silly mistakes. Both players also admitted that they had ups-and-downs in their performance, but will try to play a steadier game whomever they face, whether they are Chinese or Indonesian.
"I personally made too many mistakes with net shots," Kim said. "We will enhance our concentration during matches."
South Korean badminton has produced two Olympic gold medals in mixed doubles. At the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games Kim Dong-moon and Gil Young-ah topped the podium, and 12 years later in Beijing Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung repeated the feat.
Ko and Kim, who have been playing together since 2013, said they are aware of the history and will not damage the legacy. South Korean head coach Lee Deuk-choon had a conservative prediction on the mixed double tandem, but he had no doubt that they will grab a medal in Brazil.
"For the mixed double, we are looking for them to reach the final," Lee said. "But once they are in the final, we will obviously look for the gold."
For the Rio Games, South Korea will send two players each in the men and women's singles, as well as two pairs each in the doubles. The only event in which South Korea doesn't have two representatives is the mixed doubles.
While the two South Korean teams in the men's doubles said that they want to face each other in the final, Ko and Kim will never face their compatriots at the Olympics. However, being the only South Korean representative doesn't bother them.
"I don't think it gives us pressure," Kim said. "We just have to focus on our own performance."
Both Ko and Kim will have their second Olympic appearance in August. And they won't just be looking for the gold medal; they will also be trying to wash away painful memories from their past.
At the 2012 London Games, Ko partnered with Yoo in the men's doubles, but they were eliminated in the group stage. Since then, Ko has been playing with Shin Baek-cheol in the men's doubles to repair his honor, but the pair failed to grab a ticket to Rio despite the No. 6 rankings. While Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeong-seong secured their Olympic berth easily as the world No. 1, another Olympic spot went to Kim Gi-jung and Kim Sa-rang, who are now the No. 3-ranked tandem.

Ko, the second-oldest player on the South Korean badminton squad at 29, said he is ready to put all of his efforts into what could be his final Olympics.
"Four years ago I failed to show all my talents," he said. "It's sad that Shin is not going to the Rio Games with me, but I will pick up the slack for him and do my best."
Kim's story is more dramatic than Ko's. The 26-year-old was disqualified from her maiden Summer Games four years ago after she was involved in a so-called "play-to-lose" scandal that also kicked out Chinese and Indonesian teams from the London Games.
In 2012, Kim played with Jung Kyung-eun in the women's double. Following their coach's orders, they were attempting to lose their round-robin matches on purpose in a bid to secure favorable draws in the quarterfinals. Both players and another women's doubles team of Kim Min-jung and Ha Jung-eun were later banned from competing by the Korean Olympic Committee until 2013.
Kim said that she has grown up after going through the scandal and promised that match-throwing will never happen again.
"The scar of the scandal still remains in my heart," she said. "In Rio, I want to show all my skills, which I couldn't do four years ago."
With the Rio Games less than 50 days away, Ko and Kim are now trying to maintain their good pace. Ko said he feels a little pain on his lower back, but believes he will fully recover soon. Kim, meanwhile, said she is healthy, but is working on her stamina.
"When my power and Ha-na's delicate plays mingle well, I think we can beat any team in the world," Ko said

Hendra Setiawan eyeing a second gold medal at 2016 Rio Olympics

Hendra Setiawan who partnered Markis Kido to win men's doubles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic, is now aiming for his second men's doubles Olympic gold but this time he will be partnering with Mohammad Ahsan.

Setiawan and Kido won their first Olympic gold medal after beating Chinese pair Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng 12-21, 21-11, 21-16 in the men’s doubles final at Beijing Olympic. However, their performance started to go downhill after the 2008 Olympics. They have missed out on qualifying as Indonesia's second pair at the 2012 London Olympics by merely 71.6903 points after the pair didn't participate in Badminton Asia Championship (from April 17 to April 22) and India Open Super Series 2012 (from April 24 to April 29) due to Markis Kido decided to stay with his wife when their baby was born on 21 April 2012.

The Badminton Association of Indonesia or PBSI decided to split Setiawan/Kido up after the 2012 Olympics, and paired Hendra Setiawan with Mohammad Ahsan in September 2012.
"I definitely want to win again. Hopefully this year I can win the Olympic gold medal with Ahsan. Currently we are focusing on the preparation for the Olympic," said Setiawan.
"We are strengthening our technique, physical and mental toughness. Mental strength is very important especially in big tournament such as the Olympics," added Setiawan.
Nevertheless, Setiawan was reluctant to point out who would be their biggest opponents in Rio.
"Any pairs in Olympics could be tough for us, because nowadays a lot of lower ranked pairs are capable of beating the higher ranked pairs," said Setiawan.
Indonesia have won at least a gold medal in the badminton events since 1992. But the tradition was discontinued in the London game.