The national badminton team kicks off the year-end finals with a confident and soaring spirit!

In December 2022, the highly anticipated BWF World Tour Finals kicked off at Bangkok’s Nimibutr Arena. Since only the eight best-performing players or pairs in each individual event qualified for invitation, every match promised to be a clash of top contenders! China entered the finals with full quotas in women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. After Monday night’s draw, the Chinese team enjoyed relatively favorable luck: Chen Yufei and He Bingjiao were placed in different groups for women’s singles, while Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong and Wang Yilyu/Huang Dongping secured spots in separate groups for mixed doubles. However, the famed Fan-Chen duo (Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan) and Zheng Yu/Zhang Shuxian both found themselves drawn into Women’s Doubles Group B—a group widely regarded as the "group of death."

On the first day of the group stage, China's badminton team kicked off the competition with an "in-house derby." In a hard-fought three-game match, the Fan-Chen duo eventually edged out their teammates Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu 2-1, securing the early lead in their group. If they win their next match, they’ll likely clinch advancement ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu will need to defeat the formidable pair Rahayu/Ramadanti in their next outing to keep their own hopes of advancing alive.

He Bingjiao, who just climbed to world No. 5, delivered today’s biggest surprise by pulling off an impressive upset—defeating the formidable No. 2 seed Tai Tzu-ying. Now, in her next match, she’ll face Intanon, ranked No. 7 globally. With her confidence soaring, we’re confident He Bingjiao will continue to dazzle us with another thrilling performance!

Of course, no competition has a permanent winner. Similarly, in today’s matches, women’s singles star Chen Yufei battled fiercely through three grueling games but ultimately fell short against Mariska. Meanwhile, the Olympic mixed-doubles champions, the "Yellow Duck" duo of Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping, were edged out 1-2 by Chen Jianming and Lai Peijun, missing their chance for an opening victory as well. Given that the opponents in the same group this time around are fairly evenly matched, even a single early defeat could put immense pressure on the players to advance. Still, the resilient Chinese badminton team has repeatedly staged remarkable comebacks in past tournaments—turning seemingly impossible situations into triumphs. So, we’re confident that this time, too, they’ll channel their fearless, all-out spirit, ensuring they leave nothing behind in what promises to be their final major competition of 2022!

In fact, the Chinese badminton team has had an incredibly packed schedule this year, wrapping up just two major tournaments in November. At the BWF German Open, China claimed 1 title and 2 runner-up finishes, while at the Vietnam International, they secured 4 titles and 2 runner-up spots. Altogether, the team clinched 5 championships and 4 runner-up positions across these two events. Standby players and young talents alike delivered standout performances, showcasing the enduring spirit of Chinese badminton that continues to thrive across generations of athletes.

Alongside the team on this journey is its sponsor, Changhong—truly a champion in its own right. While firmly established as a leader in China's home appliance industry, Changhong has already clinched nearly 10 industry titles in fields such as refrigerator compressors, IoT modules, rail transit power systems, and specialized 5G connectors. Today, Changhong serves nearly 100 globally renowned enterprises, with its products and services reaching customers across the globe. The Chinese national badminton team’s deep-rooted championship spirit and relentless determination perfectly align with Changhong’s corporate ethos of "Responsibility, Innovation, and Resilience"—a philosophy that embodies both the essence and strength of a true champion. By sponsoring the Chinese National Badminton Team, Changhong and the team are poised to engage in frequent, cross-disciplinary interactions, fostering mutual inspiration and creating a shared narrative of "Chinese Pride" on the global stage.

Next, the 2022 BWF World Tour Finals will continue with the next day of competition. We’ll be right there with you, keeping an eye on China’s badminton team as they strive to showcase Chinese pride and soar to new heights!