China's Cai Yun/Fu Haifeng(R) compete against Indonesia's Hendra Setiawan/Mohammad Ahsan in the semifinal of 2015 Sudirman Cup BWF World Mixed Team Championships in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, May 16, 2015. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)
Olympic gold medalists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng from China have been officially inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame at a virtual ceremony event hosted by the sport's world governing body on Wednesday.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Olympic gold medalists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng from China have been officially inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame at a virtual ceremony event hosted by the sport's world governing body on Wednesday.
In a video message to the ceremony, BWF president Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen said being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a richly-deserved honor for the three great players from China.
"Their performances are an illustration of the excellence that the human spirit can aspire to. They have contributed immensely to badminton, and I'm sure they will continue to inspire players of the future," he said.
Zhang Jun, president of the Chinese Badminton Association, who also delivered a video message, recalled how being inducted into the Hall of Fame had motivated him.
"I sincerely hope that Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng as outstanding representatives of the Chinese badminton, will continue their fighting spirit to contribute to the development of badminton in China and in the world," he said.
For their part, the three Chinese badminton greats expressed their appreciation to those who had helped and supported them in their badminton careers, including coaches, teammates, families and fans.
"This honor spurs me on and is an affirmation of all my hard work and that of the great team behind me throughout my career," said Zhang.
"It is great recognition of my sporting career and this will forever be a highlight in my life," said Cai.
"I'm fortunate enough to have been paired with an excellent partner in Cai Yun during my career. Being named in the BWF Hall of Fame is a great honor and I will always continue to do my best to influence more people to enjoy badminton," said Fu.
The trio were key figures in China's formidable dominance of major championships during the 2000s and early 2010s, and demonstrated tremendous skill, talent, sportsmanship and longevity.
After winning the women's singles gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004, Zhang overcame immense home pressure at the Beijing 2008 Olympics to become the only women's singles shuttler who defended her championship in the event.
China's Chen Yufei (L) celebrates with coach Zhang Ning after the women's singles match against Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong at TOTAL BWF Sudirman Cup 2017 in Gold Coast, Australia, May 24, 2017. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)
Zhang, a brilliant all-round player, was victorious at nearly every major event on the circuit including the BWF World Championships in 2003, and guided China to team triumphs at the Uber Cup (2004, 2006) and Sudirman Cup (2005, 2007).
Cai and Fu also achieved unprecedented success, becoming the only men's doubles pair to win four BWF World Championships. The two won an Olympic silver at Beijing 2008 and gold at London 2012, as well as Asian Games team gold in 2006 and 2010. They also contributed a major part to China's dominance for over a decade in the Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup.
Following Cai's retirement, Fu then partnered with Zhang Nan to claim a second successive Olympic gold at Rio 2016. ■