Badminton’s humble stars are true sporting greats

AFTER more years than I care to admit in the media, dealing with the best, and worst, the sporting world can throw up, I decided to give something back to the business by becoming a volunteer at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Given a job in Press Operations as a Flash Quote Reporter I was called on to interview badminton players on their way from matches on court to the changing rooms, collect quotes and send them off to the media centre where any of the 3500 accredited journalists could pick them up to be used around the world.

Now, I have dealt with some prickly people in sport and entertainment, so how did these toplevel male and female badminton players stack up? I must say those taking part in the Mixed Team Event turned out to be some of the most approachable and amenable sports people I have struck.

Let’s face it, how many of us, with sweat-soaked bodies and aching limbs, would feel like answering questions from a stranger, especially after a particularly galling defeat? No sweat, this troupe of entertaining acrobats with racquets had their feet firmly on the ground.

For example, Malaysia’s Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei, 35, a four-time Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, facing his last appearance at these Games, talked with rare candor about his inability to lead his team to the gold medal.

On the other side of the coin, Srikanth Kidambi, of India, the victor over Chong Wei in the singles rubber on the way to taking the top seeds to the inevitable gold medal, was generous in his praise of the opposition. Shades of Roger Federer?

If cricketers are royalty in India, Srikanth Kidambi is a god. Ask any teammate. However, this down-to-earth deity indicated he was shunning any immediate celebrations to prepare for the individual medal games in the days following.

Other players weighed in with poise and honesty. Michelle Li, of Canada, for example, brought an elegance to the court, which belied her battle with hip and knee problems since the Rio Olympics two years ago.

“You never fully recover from surgery,” she said in a manner that offered no excuses for her play. Then there was the English mixed doubles pair, husband and wife Chris and Gabrielle Adcock, who turned up looking as if they could have just dropped off a week’s groceries at home on the way to the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre.

The business-like Mr and Mrs Adcock then proceeded to make the stadium air fizz with their speed and teamwork on the way to taking England closer to the bronze medal. A happy marriage indeed.

How do these elite sports people compare to their young counterparts in tennis? No contest. No petulance here or off-the-planet airing of egos. For me, game, set ... and love match. DEREK OGDEN, NERANG