INTERACTIVE: Do you have what it takes to be the next badminton superstar?

Despite Malaysian badminton legend Lee Chong Wei retiring, the fast pace sports still remains our best hope in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well as on the international stage with tournaments like the Thomas Cup and the All-England Championship.

With youngster Lee Zii Jia taking up the mantle for Malaysian badminton with his recent win at the All England, who will be joining him?

Better yet - do you think you have what it takes to be the next badminton superstar?

We speak to former great, Peter Gade of Denmark, who knows all too well the attributes and attitudes that can turn a badminton player into a champion.

There is combination of many factors that can turn a talented, determined and dedicated player into a world-beater.

Below are some of the points that the former Olympian highlighted.

Is there an ideal height or are there other physical attributes that contributes to one’s success in this sport?

"For me, the importance here is the balance between the physical attributes and the ability to be yourself, especially in the men’s and women’s singles events."

"We have a lot of examples like in recent years with a quite number of tall players."

"They don’t only succeed because they are tall but we can see that they are also very strong physically. They need to equal it out - how to use their height and the range they have by being extra strong in the rest of their bodies to be able to contain that pressure that comes in playing the men’s singles."

"We have tall players like Chen Long (China), Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) and Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia) who have done well to take advantage of their height."

"Then, we have the other kind of players like Kento Momota (Japan), Anthony Ginting and Jonathan Christie (Indonesians) and from the past, players like myself, Lee Chong Wei (Malaysia), Taufik Hidayat (Indonesia) who have the ability to carry ourselves well for a long time during matches."

"This group of players have the stamina, endurance and this made it easier for them to stay up there consistently for a long time. It’s all about having a balance and striking it at the right time."

What is the one most important skill needed to be a champion?

"This is not a question that has an easy answer because all skills are important."

"But by working with young players now, I’ve been looking for the X-factors and to me, what’s most important is to have that will to work when things are against you."

"How do you react when you face a challenge? These challenges can vary - it could be physical or mental, or just your strong opponent on the other side."

*The match between Japan's Kurumi Yonao and Naoko Fukuman vs Hong Kong's Poon Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet*
*The match between Japan's Kurumi Yonao and Naoko Fukuman vs Hong Kong's Poon Lok Yan and Tse Ying Suet*

"You may be in a difficult spot, there could be pain and obstacles in front of you."

"Do you react with fire in your eyes? Are you the kind of motivated players who is ready to face the challenge head on? Or do you feel easily demotivated and think that the challenge is too big or the struggle is too much?"

"When you look at all the world-class badminton players, they just have that fire in their eyes when they face a big challenge. "

"They show that they can’t wait to deal with the challenge and they use different ways to overcome it."

"You have to have this kind of special sparkle in your body language and in your eyes - that can make a lot of difference."

"And also, one of the biggest assets for me is to find a player with the ability to bounce back after suffering big losses."

"When they are down in a pit, how do they react? Do they need everyone around them to push them back to the top or can they deal with it by themselves?"

"Usually, a top player does not need anyone to push them; they can find within themselves that extra energy and the courage to get back to their winning ways as soon as possible."

"All the best players have this trademark."

The Hard Facts About Malaysia's Performance in Badminton

Data is from the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Note that there is no Malaysian female shuttler currently ranked among the Top 10 Women's Singles and Doubles.

Arrogance or a sense of calmness?

We can come up with a long list of the right attitudes but is there one that supersedes above all for you that you see in a champion?

"If you look at the best players in the past 10 to 15 years, you will see this - a kind of a strong attitude of self-belief and self-confidence but at the same time, there is a certain calmness that oozes out from these best players."

"I know Carolina Marin (Spain) may be an exception as she uses her body language in a special way - aggressive and loud on court - but that’s part of her personality and quite natural for her.".

"But most of the other players and the best players we see today, they have that calmness. "

"They are very strong in their attitude; they know when to pull the trigger and when to be mentally tough on court but they also know when to stay calm."

"You need this calmness to make the right decision during a critical situation. "

"I believe this is one of the aspects that put a world champion one class above the rest.

"It’s not arrogance but it’s actually humility and respect towards the challenge that is posed by their opponents in front of them, no matter who they are."

Taufik says friendship with Chong Wei as strong as their love for badminton

You made me the GOAT

Can a coach make a significant difference to turn a player into a world champion or is it all credit to the player?

"When all the best players who have ended their careers look back at their successful journey, they will always recognise a special relationship towards their coaches."

"It’s not necessarily dedicated to one coach but to all those who have sowed (lessons) in their lives throughout their careers."

"Just look at Lin Dan (China), Taufik Hidayat and Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles."

"They had different periods with different kind of coaches and big personalities on the chair, and they just took the best pointers from each one of them. "

"I believe those periods of their careers had kind of defined who they had turned out to be. "

"They took all things from each coach and matched it with their own personalities and made decisions on how to be the best possible."

"It's kind of interesting to see how these players had developed due to the influence from their coaches."

"Most of the time, you know, a champion will have a coach he or she likes the best or remember the most."

"It’s those coaches who are able to make them feel free, to be the kind of player they want to be."

"And these coaches do not necessary be only the best coach regarding the specifics of badminton but are equally good as coaches with the personal touch to make the players feel that they are their best from the mental side - even when they down."

If there is another element that is needed to become a world champion, what could that be?

"A champion knows his or her responsibilities. And for a real champion, this kind of a responsibility comes naturally."

"It’s knowing in your heart the responsibility towards the sport, fans, yourself and family."

"As it is the player’s chosen path, he or she has to do it."

"I don’t think a world champion will be a responsible player if he or she does not have the feel for it anymore."

"Just look at the best players now like Viktor, Kento and Carolina - to mention a few -, being responsible players are part of them."

"I’ve been involved in badminton for a long time; it’s huge part of me and I know, I have a large following so there is a sense of responsibility to be the best in what you do."

"Of course, different players handle their responsibilities in different ways but all have the same end goal - to be the best of the best and they know that it takes discipline, sacrifices and unwavering devotion."

(Picture caption: Lee Chong Wei obliging his fans request with a wefie after a function. - LIM BENG TATT/ The Star on Sept 1, 2016.)

"I don’t think a world champion will get up one day and say I don’t feel like going to training today; he knows what is required of him. "

So, there you go! Do you think you have the qualities of a badminton superstar?

(Picture caption: Fans of Malaysia's shuttler Lee Zii Jia reaching out for his racket after his win at the SEA Games Men's Singles final match against Singapore's Loh Kean Yew at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Manila. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star on Dec 9, 2019)

(Picture caption: Malaysian supporters during the mixed team match at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Sports Arena in Gold Coast, Australia. - GLENN GUAN/The Star on April 9, 2018. )