Padukone, Gopi to share stage
International badminton legends like double Olympic and world championship medallist Lin Dan and Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei will share the stage with Indian legends Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand during next month’s Legends Vision Yonex World Tour in Mumbai, a statement said.
For the first time, India will see the coming together of badminton names like Lin Dan, Lee, Peter Gade, Taufik Hidayat and Lee Yong Dae on November 4 at the Legends Vision Yonex World Tour, a global initiative launched in 2015 to increase awareness and participation in the sport across the globe.
As the first men’s singles player to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals, five world championships and six All England titles, Lin Dan, 34, is still a force to reckon with on the international circuit standing at world no. 3 today.
At 35, and one of the most experienced players on the circuit, three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee bounced back to become world no. 1 after being close to retirement at one point of time.
Know for trick shots and with 22 Grand Prix titles under his belt and other victories at the All England and European Championships, Gade is now the head coach of the French national squad while former world and Olympic champion, Taufik’s powerful strokeplay made him one of the most difficult players to face on circuit.
“As Indian badminton has evolved over the years, the Legends Vision World Tour will be a great motivator and boost for upcoming badminton players to get up close and personal with their idols,” chief national coach Pullela Gopichand said.
“With the likes of Kidambi Srikanth, P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal making the country proud on the international stage, today we can see India becoming a force to reckon worldwide.”
Srikanth, Sindhu and Saina will also be a part of the event.