Retired stars rally for event

With the world's best shuttlers primed for a fierce Olympic tournament, badminton enthusiasts from China and France are celebrating the opportunity to personally enjoy the sport in Paris at their own high-profile event.

The "Popular Badminton" International Legends Tour, a grassroots badminton promotional project launched in Guangzhou on Monday, will see some of the best performers from a national amateur championship — which kicked off on June 15 in Changsha and will visit at least 10 more cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu — head to Paris during the Olympics to take part in a grand sports and culture exchange involving young people from both countries. The event is set to take place from Aug 7-9.

A group of retired stars, including two-time men's Asian Games champion Zhao Jianhua, mixed and men's doubles Olympic gold medalist Zhang Nan and former women's world No 1 Zhou Mi, have been invited to participate as ambassadors for the project, as well as to host junior training programs and play exhibition matches with amateurs at the various city stops.

Some of them will also join the event in Paris, to be held at the Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes, to interact with fans, French badminton stars and celebrities at the festival, as part of a series of exchanges to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France.

"The project will integrate badminton promotion into a grand celebration of art, culture and diplomatic exchanges, which helps popularize the sport in a creative and inclusive way," Zhang Jun, president of Chinese Badminton Association, said at the launch ceremony.

Olivier Grandjean, a French-language TV producer, host and writer, wished the project great success.

"It is a fantastic opportunity. The Olympics is an exceptional occasion to share emotions and common interests, despite the political differences between countries," he said.