KUALA LUMPUR – National badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei and his on-court nemesis Lin Dan of China to be inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame for 2023.
BWF in a statement said the two legends, who were the most dominant men’s singles shuttlers in their generation, have been elected to be inducted in the world governing body’s list of exceptional players.
The official ceremony has been scheduled for May 26 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer, who hailed both players for their impact on the game, said they will be remembered for more than in terms of tournament success.
“Chong Wei and Lin Dan were among the foremost ambassadors of badminton over a major part of the last two decades. With their outstanding performances, they drew whole generations of fans to the sport.
“They both richly deserve to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” he added.
Chong Wei, 41, and Lin Dan, 40, who began their senior international career in the early 2000s, had stamped their presence on the game until their retirements in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Chong Wei, who retired due to nasal cancer, had bagged 47 BWF Superseries/World Tour titles in total during his 19-year illustrious career and was world number one for an amazing 349 weeks.
The Penang-born is also Malaysia’s most successful shuttler, having won three Olympics silver in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as three World Championships silver medals in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
On the other hand, Lin Dan was unrivalled when it came to the major championships, with two Olympic and five World Championships titles.
“A measure of their dominance is that between them, they contested a total of five Olympic and 10 BWF World Championships finals. Chong Wei and Lin set several records during the course of their long careers.
“They were also vital to their countries’ fortunes at the team championships,” BWF said. – Bernama, May 2, 2023
