PETALING JAYA: The prestigious World Tour Finals will be the last dance for several shuttlers – so expect only the best action.
Taiwan’s Lee Yang (men’s doubles), China’s Zheng Siwei (mixed doubles) and Japan’s Aya Ohori (women’s singles) will grace the badminton stage for the last time in Hangzhou from Dec 11-15.
Lee Yang is returning to compete with Wang Chi-lin for the first time since the Taiwan Open in September.
The former decided to retire from the sport after winning his second successive gold medal in the Olympics in Paris with Chi-lin in August.
Chi-lin then formed a new partnership with Chiu Hsiang-chieh but will be playing with Lee Yang again for one last time after the pair qualified for the Finals by virtue of their Olympic title win.
Lee Yang-Chi-lin won the Finals once in 2020 in Bangkok.
This time, the pair face a tough test against China’s He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu, Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto, Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Ander Skaarup Rasmussen and another Taiwanese duo Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan.
Another star, who will be waving goodbye is Siwei, who announced his decision to retire last week.
The 27-year-old will be competing for the first time with Huang Yaqiong after winning gold in the Paris Olympics in August.
Roared on by the passionate home support, Siwei and the 30-year-old Yaqiong will be out to end their partnership on a high by winning the Finals for the fourth time after capturing the title in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Siwei also emerged champion with his previous partner, Chen Qingchen in 2016 and 2017.
Siwei-Yaqiong’s challengers in Hangzhou are teammates Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin, Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, Taiwan’s Yang Po-hsuan-Hu Ling-fang, Indonesia’s Dejan Ferdinansyah-Gloria Emanuelle, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man-Tsre Ying Suet and Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito.
Meanwhile, the Finals will also be Japan’s Aya Ohori’s swansong.
World No. 9 Ohori, who is currently Japan’s No. 2 in the women’s singles behind only world No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi, surprisingly announced her decision to retire last month.
The 28-year-old has already tasted success in Hangzhou when she won bronze in the Asian Games last year.
She has also been in good form this year, capturing her first two World Tour titles in the Thailand Masters in January and Australian Open in June.
Ohori will be joined in the Finals by Yamaguchi, South Korea’s An Se-young, China’s Wang Zhiyi, Han Yue, Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska, Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan and Supanida Katethong.
The draw for the Finals will be released today.
