The greatest badminton players of all time

Badminton is highly followed in various nations. There have been some icons to look forward to. These stars continue to inspire many to take up badminton as career. Here’s a brief list of greatest badminton players of all time. 

(Note: The list covers players from both gender, and restricted to singles event.)

Lin Dan, China

He is referred to as the Super Dan for his exploits on the badminton court. He has won all the major 9 titles in badminton at the age of just 28 to complete the Super Grand Slam. He is the only shuttler to achieve such a feat. His win in Malaysian Open in 2017 completed the Super Grand Slam.

The Chinese shuttler has won men single’s title in straight Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012, the only shuttler to defend his title successfully in this competition. He has 5 gold in World Championships, 2 gold in World Cup, 5 gold in Asian Games, and 4 in Asian Championships.

Taufik Hidayat, Indonesia

The Indonesian badminton player shared a great rivalry with Lin Dan. They were deemed arch-rivals with Hidayat winning 4, and losing 13 in major events to Dan. Nevertheless, Hidayat had his moments in badminton and was one of the greatest badminton players of all time. He has a gold each in Olympic Games and World Championships. He also won 3 gold in Asian Games. He won the Indonesian Open a record 6 times. He won 27 international titles in his career.

Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia

Wei maintained the first ranking in badminton for 349 weeks, including 199 weeks in succession. He is the only player from Malaysia to hold on to the No 1 spot for a year or more. He won three silver medals in three successive Olympic Games. When he won his first silver medal in Olympics, he was given the title of ‘Datuk’ and was named national hero by the then Malaysian Prime Minister. He also won 5 golds in Commonwealth Games. He also won 2 golds in Asian Championships. He retired last year after he was diagnosed of nose cancer.

Li Lingwei, China

She is one of the greatest female singles player in badminton. Her records speak for itself. She has won three gold in World Championships, 7 gold in World Cup, 2 gold in Asian Games, and 3 gold in Uber Cup. She also dominated doubles events with her partner Han Aiping. She is now focussed on improving women’s participation in the sport.

Photo of Lin Dan.

Photo courtesy: Facebook page of Lin Dan's fans