China's rebuild gathering pace
Retirement storm
The Chinese men's team's runner-up finish in the Thomas Cup was tainted by controversy, with many fans critical of Shi Yuqi's retirement during his singles rubber against Japan's world No 1 Momota Kento in the semifinals.
Shi lost the first set 22-20 after missing a set point and then retired as Kento was about to serve for the match at 20-5.
"I thought that maybe Momota was also very tired and that I might be able to fight back if he made some mistakes," Shi explained.
"That's why I did not give up when it was 2-11 in the first set. But finally I quit at match point. I had my own reasons for this."
Shi later cited injuries and tiredness for his withdrawal in a social media post, but that did little to quell fans' anger online.
Kento was equally perplexed by Shi's decision, telling Xinhua: "I didn't quite understand why Shi gave up at the last moment. I hope his injuries are not getting worse. Anyway, I was very happy to win the first match for my team."
Shi's withdrawal saw world No 27 Lu Guangzu promoted to the team for the final, with fans pinpointing the personnel change as a major factor in China's defeat.
Ever since the retirement of the legendary Lin Dan, Chinese fans have been waiting for the emergence of a new superstar to restore the nation's dominance in men's badminton.
China's men's No 1 Chen Long has also almost reached the end of his career, with the 32-year-old choosing to give the European tournaments a miss following his exertions at Tokyo 2020 and the National Games.
Shi's inability to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team in Chen's absence, therefore, left fans deeply unimpressed.
CBA president Zhang, however, was keen to highlight the experience gained at the Thomas Cup.
"Our young players have learned a lot. Some of them haven't played such high-level international tournaments, so this was a great opportunity for them and a boost for their confidence," said Zhang.
