Four Nations Para: He Is My Teacher, He Is My Brother

Jayce September 6, 2024 2 0

“I’m excited. This might be my last time competing against him.”

After defeating South Korean player Kim Jeong-jun 21-10, 21-15 to advance to the WH2 Men’s Singles final at the 2024 Four Nations Para-Badminton International, Chen Haoyuan sent an emotional message to his badminton idol.

The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic bronze medalist will retire after the 2024 Paris Paralympics. He said, “He is my teacher, my brother. He is one of the few Paralympic legends I recognize. I love playing against him, and I will miss those moments on the court with him. I don’t know if we’ll meet in Paris, as it depends on the seedings. Maybe we will meet in the future. For now, I cherish these moments.

“Victory is great, but I prefer smiling. After the match, we hugged and kissed each other. It was amazing,” Chen Wei-qun added as he embraced the four-time Asian Championship winner.

As Chen Wei-qun left the court with his racket and bag, he called out to Kim Da-ryeon, “I will miss you.”

“Yes, I will really miss him. Without him, the level of wheelchair badminton wouldn’t be as high. He was ten years ahead of everyone, and everyone has been trying to catch up to his level. Now we have Daiki Kajiwara, but without Kim, we would still be at a kindergarten level. Now we’re at a university level, and everyone in the wheelchair badminton community should thank him and recognize him.

“Our communication is limited because he doesn’t speak much English, but we understand each other. When I first started becoming a ‘good player,’ I went to Korea to learn many things from him. I miss those days,” Chen reminisced.

Chen Wei-qun faces a tougher challenge in the final against Kajiwara Ryunosuke.

“He will be difficult to handle. I think he hasn’t lost a singles match since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. His weapon is his mentality, which is very strong. I need to be ten years younger to beat him,” he joked.

What Others Say:

“This is very helpful for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The stage will be bigger, and I also need to control my nervousness. I try to stay calm and smile when I’m nervous.” — Fujino Haruka (SL4)

“In the past four years, my endurance and mental toughness have been tested. I’m glad to reach the semifinals; I deserve it. I’ve worked hard.” — Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli after defeating Zheng Zaijian in the WH1 Men’s Singles semifinals

“I don’t think I’m invincible, but I’m very determined, and I love playing para-badminton. That’s why I accepted my disability.” — Salina Sato-mi

“She’s very deceptive and hard to deal with. If I could replay the match, I would try better footwork, more clears to the back line, and make her move around more.” — Celine Aurelie Vinot after losing 21-11, 21-8 to Syakuroh Qonitah Ikhtiar