Beijing: The first-round draw for the 2024 Malaysia Badminton Open has stirred controversy, with Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi facing He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu in the first round. Liu Yuchen expressed discontent on Weibo, questioning whether the draw was done fairly and tagging the Badminton World Federation (BWF) account.
In his recent Weibo post, Liu Yuchen voiced his frustration, stating, “Is this really a draw, or is it something written by hand?” and directly addressing the BWF, raising doubts about the transparency of the draw.
Many Chinese fans echoed this sentiment, commenting, “With this setup, no one can make it to Paris,” “Scheduling an all-Chinese battle in the first round is too much,”, “BWF, please come out and explain”, “this draw is outrageous.”
Currently, both Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi and He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu are at a crucial juncture in their quest for the Paris Olympics, where losing would hurt their chances of qualifying for the Paris Games. Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi are currently ranked 7th in the world and 8th in Olympic qualification points, barely meeting the cutoff. For the newly formed pair of He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu, there is also a possibility of Olympic participation. The unfortunate circumstance is that they were drawn against each other in the first round of the Malaysia Open, prompting Liu Yuchen to question the draw process.
Regardless of the controversy, the reality remains unchanged. The key is to enhance their skills and give their best in the matches. Both pairs are capable of achieving top-ten rankings globally, and if they can seize the opportunity in 2024, there is a strong possibility for China to have two men’s doubles pairs qualified for the Paris Olympics.
