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In recent days, two of badminton’s legendary “Four Kings,” Taufik Hidayat and Lee Chong Wei, were falsely rumored to have passed away, drawing significant attention from fans.
On October 6th, a social media post falsely claimed that Taufik Hidayat had died. However, just hours earlier, Taufik’s official account had posted photos of him vacationing with his family, quickly debunking the rumor.
Today, a screenshot circulated across numerous badminton-related WeChat groups, where a blogger falsely claimed that 40-year-old Lee Chong Wei had passed away. However, this rumor first appeared last year in connection with the death of former Malaysian badminton player Yap Kim Hock on August 4, 2023, at the age of 40. News reports from that time mentioned Lee Chong Wei being visibly emotional at his friend’s funeral, which somehow got twisted into false rumors about his own death. Additionally, Lee Chong Wei was born in 1982, making him 42, not 40, further disproving the hoax.
Taufik Hidayat is the first male singles player to have won an Olympic gold medal, an Asian Games gold, a World Championship title, and a Thomas Cup victory, making him a “Grand Slam” champion in the world of badminton. He retired in 2013 and now runs his own badminton academy while also serving as a consultant for Indonesia’s national team.
Lee Chong Wei, who long held the world No. 1 ranking, won three Olympic silver medals, four World Championship silver medals, 46 Super Series titles, and 69 Open tournament titles. He is often regarded as the “King without a crown” and tearfully retired in 2019 due to his battle with nasal cancer.
