Shanghai: After more than 40 hours of travel, the Chinese badminton team has safely arrived in Huelva, Spain to get ready for the 2021 BWF World Championships that will be held at Palacio de los Deportes Carolina Marín, from December 12 to December 19.
The Chinese shuttlers departed from their training base in Shuangliu, Chengdu, at 8 am on Wednesday. They then left the Shanghai Pudong international airport at 8:20 pm, transiting in both Seoul, Korea, and Amsterdam, Netherlands before arriving in Madrid Spain. From Madrid, they were required to take another seven to eight hours bus drive to Huelva.
According to the president of the Chinese Badminton Association – Zhang Jun, after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 2021 Sudirman Cup, and the 2020 Thomas & Uber Cup finals, the 2021 BWF World Championships would be their fourth main target of the year.
The World No. 2 Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong mixed doubles pair, who were absent from the Sudirman Cup and the Thomas & Uber Cup finals, were believed to be fully rested and were ready to win their third consecutive World Championships title. The pair has won the 2018 (Nanjing) and 2019 (Basel) editions.
This would also be Zheng/Huang’s first tournament since the Tokyo Olympics.
However, some prominent Chinese players such as the Tokyo Olympics gold medalists Chen Yufei (women’s singles), Wang YiLyu/Huang Dongping (mixed doubles), and two higher-ranked men’s singles players – Chen Long (World No. 6), Shi Yuqi (World No. 13) were not being sent to participate at the 2021 BWF World Championships.
Below is a full list of Chinese shuttlers who will participate at the 2021 BWF World Championships:
Men’s singles: Lu Guangzu, Li Shifeng, Zhao Junpeng
Men’s Doubles: He Jiting/Tan Qiang, Ou Xuanyi/Zhang Nan, Liu Cheng/Huang Kaixiang, Di Zijian/Wang Chang
Women’s singles: He Bingjiao, Wang Zhiyi, Han Yue, Zhang Yiman
Women’s Doubles: Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, Li Wenmei/Zheng Yu, Liu Xuanxuan/Xia Yuting
Mixed Doubles: Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, Guo Xinwa/Zhang Shuxian, Ou Xuanyi/Feng Xueying
