Team China wins 13th Sudirman Cup
Chinese men's singles player Shi played a vital role to help Team China secure victory at both the semifinal and final over the weekend.
"I just eased the burden of my teammate. If I can win the second point, with 2-0 already, I believe my teammates after me can have a better performance," Shi said after winning. "Saturday's semifinal was very hard for us. Being able to fight in the final, I believe all our teammates shared the same goal. We just need to always believe in ourselves and try our best."
Team China's victory made headlines and generated a series of trending topics on Chinese social media. The hashtag "Sudirman Cup final" was viewed over 5 million times within an hour of the Sunday's victory, with fans expressing their support and admiration for Team China.
"It was really not easy for Team China to win. It's not just about skills or tactics. It's more about mentality. We need to display our spirit at such an important tournament," said Chinese badminton icon Cai Yun, a gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics who watched the action in Suzhou on-site.
