Monday, June 05, 2023

BWF backs Chong Wei, Lin Dan as worthy inductees of Hall of Fame


FMT:

BWF backs Chong Wei, Lin Dan as worthy inductees of Hall of Fame


It says it looks forward to inducting more champions into the BWF Hall of Fame in the coming years.



The Badminton World Federation said both Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan deserved the recognition awarded to them on May 26 following their outstanding contributions to badminton. (Bernama pic)


KUALA LUMPUR: Former world badminton greats Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and Lin Dan of China are both worthy inductees of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame.

BWF, in a statement, said both Chong Wei and Lin Dan deserved the recognition awarded to them on May 26 following their outstanding contributions to badminton beyond the confines of the court over a significant period of time.

It also stated that the BWF Council endorsed the nominations of Chong Wei and Lin Dan for the Hall of Fame as per the selection criteria outlined in the BWF Awards Regulations.

”BWF recognises the achievements and contributions of many legends of the sport and looks forward to inducting more champions into the BWF Hall of Fame in the coming years,” it said.

Recently, former Indonesian ace Taufik Hidayat, in a video on social media, questioned Chong Wei’s induction.

“In competition, what’s taken into account is who is champion, not who is most (consistent). Also, it’s not about who is longest in the number one spot.

“Between winning 10 silver and only one gold, which would you choose?” said the 2004 Olympic Games gold medallist in the video.

In a response last Friday, the 40-year-old Chong Wei urged Taufik to seek clarification from BWF and hoped the governing body would issue a statement clarifying the matter.

The Penangite admitted that he was unhappy and surprised by Taufik’s statement which seemed to indicate his disagreement over the selection decided upon by BWF.

Chong Wei was world number one for 349 weeks, and won three Olympic silver medals, namely in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016, but had never won gold at the Games or the world championships.

Lin Dan, meanwhile, clinched two Olympic golds in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and had five world championship titles under his belt (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013).

Earlier today, youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh said that Chong Wei’s induction into the 2023 BWF Hall of Fame was based on the BWF’s data and statistics.

“I was there when he (Chong Wei) received the award and recognition with Lin Dan. If we look at the data and statistics, I believe BWF had strong reasons before it gave the recognition.”


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