Badminton analytics can be very helpful to players and coaches at all levels. In this review, we’ll introduce you to a new AI-driven (Artificial Intelligence-driven) smartphone app. It was developed by a team of badminton enthusiasts.
For many years, player or game analysis was done by coaches (or parents) observing and analyzing live games. In recent years, players and coaches have been using video analysis to some extent. Video analysis is beneficial for analyzing one’s own strengths and weaknesses. But it is also a helpful tool for analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of opponents. See an example of video badminton analytics here.
Needless to say, acquiring video footage can, at times, be difficult. And even if it is possible to get a good number of hours of match recording done, analyzing video footage manually is quite a task.
The Moneyball principle applied to badminton
Are you familiar with the movie Moneyball (Brad Pitt/Jonah Hill)? The movie tells the story of Oakland Athletics Baseball and how they built a team of undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing players.
Making data readily available to badminton players, coaches, analysts, and teams represents a real opportunity for performance improvement. Especially if data is presented so that it is quick to understand which actions or changes to implement.
Former world number 32 (MD) Shlok Ramchandran seems firm in his belief that a data revolution in badminton is much needed. In this article on Scroll.in – he argues his case. He believes that making relevant data available and sharing it in visual format will also improve the TV viewer experience, citing tennis and golf as role models.
This year this tournament saw a number of surprising upsets.
With a prize purse of USD 42.000 up for grabs for each of the winners of the two single titles and USD 44.000 for each of the winners of the three doubles titles, most of the top players participated in Paris.
The week before Asian players dominated Denmark Open. At the French Open 4 of the 10 finalists were from Europe: two from Denmark, one from Spain, and one from The Netherlands.
Here follows a quick summary of the French Open 2022 for the men’s singles category:
Men’s singles with a somewhat unexpected outcome
Second seed Anders Antonsen was scheduled to play fellow Dane Rasmus Gemke in the first round. But Antonsen pulled out of the tournament due to an injury. He was substituted by Nhat Nguyen from Ireland.
3rd seed Lee Zia Jia of Malaysia surprisingly lost to Rhustavito in the first round. 4th seed Chou Tien Chen followed suit. He was ousted by Lee Cheuk Yiu, also in the first round.
And that’s not all that happened in the first round in the city of love. Indonesian fan-favorite Anthony Ginting lost a nail-biting 3-setter to BWF 31-ranked Sameer Verma of India in the first round. (Verma exited in the second round following a 2-set loss to 3-time Junior World Champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand).
In fact, of the 8 seeded players only 1st seed Axelsen, 7th seed Loh Kean Yew, and 8th seed Jonathan Christie made it to the second round. And since all aforementioned players were in the top part of the draw, it was quickly clear that at least one unseeded player would make it to the final. (see the draw here)
Following his (dramatic) loss to training partner Loh at Denmark Open in Odense, 1st seed Viktor Axelsen clearly had something to prove in France. After routinely winning his first and second-round matches against Japan’s Nishimoto and Thammasin of Thailand, the world number one would go on to face his nemesis, 7th-ranked Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, in the quarterfinal.
A focused and determined Axelsen came out on top – winning the quarterfinal comfortably in 2 sets.
Surprisingly Axelsen’s opponent in the semifinal turned out to be young Kodai Naraoka of Japan. Unseeded Kodai Naraoka had dispatched 8th seed, Jonathan Christie of Indonesia, in the quarterfinal. That game lasted a total of 1 hour and 18 minutes. The tall Dane overpowered a fatigued Naraoka and won by a comfortable margin in straight sets. The young Japanese, however, deserves much credit for his excellent attitude on the court.
Amazingly Rasmus Gemke of Denmark also made it to the final. It was unexpected because injury-prone Gemke’s best result in 2022 was a quarterfinal at the Indonesian Open. But at the French Open 2022, the quiet Dane proved he’s got what it takes to compete at the highest level.
His journey to the French Open 2022 final
On his way to the final, Rasmus overcame Nhat Nguyen in the first round, upset former French Open winner Kidambi Srikanth in the second, upended Thai hopeful Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the quarterfinal, and dropped Lee Cheuk Yiu in the semifinal. Along the way, Gemke played some very solid badminton – even demonstrating creativity and tactical prowess at times.
Having two European players in a men’s singles final in a Super Series 750 tournament rarely happens. This time on European soil in front of a very lively crowd (“Quand on a pas ce que l’on aime, il faut aimer ce que l’on a” ;-). What’s more, Rasmus Gemke lost to Axelsen in the second round of Denmark Open just one week prior. He was set on giving Axelsen a fight for his money.
In France, Viktor Axelsen proved just a tad stronger than Gemke winning in straight sets. This was the first French Open title for Viktor Axelsen who dedicated the victory to his three girls at home (his wife and two daughters).
Denmark has won the men’s singles event at the French Open a total of 12 times.
Players from England have won the category a total of 15 times, and Chinese players a total of 9 times.
Is it Lin Dan? Kento Momota? Chen Long? Viktor Axelsen? Lee Chong Wei? Ardy Wiranata? Morten Frost? Anders Antonsen? Or maybe someone else?
Surely, the longest winning streak in the modern era of men’s badminton was achieved by a very well-known badminton player. But who is the current record holder?Badmintonspeak gives you the answer
Top players with impressive winning streaks in men’s singles badminton
Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the names mentioned at the top, are found on the top 10 list of the longest winning streak in men’s singles badminton.
In fact, one specific player appears a whopping 5 times on the top ten list of the longest winning streaks. Another appears twice. Only 5 different players made it onto the top 10 list.
The shortest winning streak on the top 10 list stands at “only” 24 wins in a row. But that’s still very impressive. Winning 24 consecutive matches in the modern era of men’s singles badminton is a massive accomplishment. The player who achieved that feat was a legendary player from China.
On top of the list is a player who achieved a whopping 37 straight wins. Imagine that. Keep in mind that we are talking about professional badminton at the very highest level. Not amateur or recreational badminton. Even if that player was the world number 1 at the time, he still would have to overcome highly skilled and superiorly motivated world-class players.
Before we reveal the result, bear in mind that we are talking about the modern era. For the purpose of this statistic, that means the period from 1986 onwards.
Lin Dan appears 5 times on the top 10 list over the course of 9 years!
Legendary badminton star Lin Dan saluting his flag at the Olympics
Lin Dan’s earliest winning streak record is from October 2003 to April 2004. His latest took place between July 2012 to June 2014. So nearly 9 years between his first and last campaign. In our opinion that is truly legendary. Lin Dan appears a total of 5 times on the top 10 list. He may not have the longest winning streak, but he truly deserves our respect and admiration. Shout out to the classy player from China. He retired from professional badminton in 2020.
Thinking about the longest winning streak in men’s singles badminton, who do you think has the current record? It would be interesting to hear your thoughts. Please write your “guess” in the comments below.
Think about tennis players. What comes to mind? Now think about badminton players – what comes to mind?
When most people think about tennis players, a vision of players with distinct characteristics or personalities comes to mind. Some beautiful, yes – even sexy. Others, because they have cultivated a certain image; “the mad man”, “the screamer”, “the gentleman” etc.
Thinking about badminton players, people know the names of the top players. But when it comes to their personalities, it is difficult to differentiate – generally speaking. They are all so very nicely behaved. In fact, the majority behave in a very conservative manner. Just like tennis and golf players decades ago.
the popularity of a sport and its players relies on many factors. One important factor has to do with the personality of the athletes
As mentioned, the sport of tennis is loaded with personalities who stand out. Some are known for their temperament (John McEnroe), others for their external beauty or sexy image (Chris Evert, Anna Kournikova, and many more). Others are known for their kind and gentle demeanor (Roger Federer). We’re sure you can think of many more tennis players with distinct personalities.
Unfiltered personalities: Smashing racquets is part of the drama of tennis. Think of it what you like, but seeing a player smash one or several racquets, is – let’s say – interesting. Such a blunt show of emotions hardly ever happens at the highest level of badminton. Players are very controlled and behave (awfully) correctly.
Goh Liu Ying OLY is an affluent athlete
She dared to be different – and it paid off
A few badminton players have added some interesting layers to their brands. One of the frontrunners is Malaysian mixed-doubles player ms. Goh Liu Ying. She’s added a bit of glamour to badminton. Her eye-catching and colorful outfits stand out.
A part-time model and professional badminton player, Goh Liu Ying is quoted as saying: “Before I go out, I always check the mirror to see if I look good. It boosts my confidence. Before I stride onto the badminton court, I must feel confident. Maybe 10% or 20% of it comes from the way I dress”.
I feel it is refreshingly honest and transparent. And we need more Goh’s on the badminton tour.
Judging from her social media following, Goh Liu Ying has succeeded in creating a strong personal brand. And that’s especially important to badminton players. Because – unlike even mediocre tennis players – professional badminton players don’t get rich from winning tournaments. Their main income comes from sponsors. Something business-savvy Goh Liu Ying is very wary of.
According to sports branding expert Oliver Shepherd, “audiences are more likely to root for multi-faceted players. Sure, badminton fans appreciate highly skilled players. But when a player shows feelings and lets their personality shine through, fans are more likely to root for them.”
Needless to say, building a personal brand must be anchored in the personality traits of the player. But at the same time, badminton players must be willing to use what they have to attract and retain more fans. So if a player is physically attractive; flaunt it. If a player is disposed to reveal certain emotions, don’t hold back.
Building a distinct personal brand can add millions to the career earning of a badminton athlete.
Linda Siegel during a (tennis) game in 1979.
In 1979 Linda Siegel borrowed a pretty dress for her Wimbledon debut. While the dress was a perfect fit initially, she slowly fell out of it point by point. Naturally, the press had a field day, and – at least part of – the audience didn’t mind the experience. Once again tennis managed to take the front seat in terms of media coverage. And once again it had nothing to do with the sport itself.
Badminton is trailing tennis in so many ways. Badminton might never catch up, but at least we should try to improve the overall appeal of the sport. One of the ways to do that is to work on the player branding side of things.
So while tennis, golf, and football consistently benefit from both serious and colorful media coverage, this is hardly ever the case for badminton. In recent years stories involving the sad news of Kento Momota’s accident, Viktor Axelsen’s chartered plane story, or, locally in Denmark (Danish single player) Mia Blichfeldt’s hardship dealing with anxiety, received significant coverage. And that’s about it.
In many countries, even the most fantastic badminton results get little or no media coverage. Of course, there are exceptions. In Indonesia, for example, badminton is the de facto national sport. Hence the media coverage is intense. Outside Asia, the sport doesn’t get much coverage from local, national, or regional media.
Is it because the sport is too boring and too hard to understand for non-practitioners? Or is it because the top players are too clean, too polite, and scared of showing a bit of edge? Or might it be because the badminton organizations around the world aren’t doing a good enough job of promoting the sport?
Interestingly, promoting the sport of badminton has been a challenge for the longest time. In 1928 former All-England badminton champion Miss Radeglia, took it upon herself to promote the sport through articles like this one.
Flag-wrapping backfired for Anders Antonsen Wrapped in the Danish flag, Anders Antonsen once made a showmanship-like entrance reminiscent of former years’ great boxing champs entering the arena. Awesome, we think. Unfortunately, Anders lost the final by a big margin and subsequently got ridiculed for his so-called antics. I personally salute Anders for having the guts to be different.
Badminton has a long way to go compared to the likes of tennis and golf.
The truth is: sex appeal attracts. But so does a quirky personality or a different approach to the sport.
I am not advocating for more badminton players to acquire a public image of being sexy or smashingly good-looking. But I do believe we need more players who stand out on and off the court. It really is a win-win situation for the players involved, their sponsors, the fans, and – most importantly – the sport of badminton.
Badminton players work your brand DNA
To change the status quo, badminton players need to take the front seat. They need to work on their brand DNA, and understand how they may differentiate themselves on- and off the court. It doesn’t take much effort, but the benefit is real. Players will attract more fans, more sponsors, and more attention.
The dominance of Asian badminton players in the BWF World top 100 rankings continued in 2022.
With the exception of men’s singles, Asian players win most BWF World Tour tournaments and top the world rankings. In this article, we’ll give you the raw facts about the extent of Asian dominance in badminton.
Through the figures and illustration below, you’ll quickly realize that badminton players from Europe gradually have been outperformed by players from Asia. But you might also recognize an even bigger story. Which is that Latam, Africa, and Oceania have not been able to catch up to Europe and Asia.
This is quite concerning for the sport of badminton. Because, in my opinion, this lack of progress would indicate that the talent development initiatives in the aforementioned territories have left much to be desired. Surely, with the right commitment, Latam, for example, is well-positioned to develop top badminton players.
Asian badminton players account for 65% of players on the BWF top 100 rankings
A = Men B = Women
The illustration, which stems from this study, explains how badminton players from Asia have increased the percentage of male and female badminton players on the BWF World Ranking top 100.
In short, 65 out of 100 players in the top 100 represent an Asian country. Approximately 26 represent a European country. And less than 10 players represent Oceania, Africa, or Latam.
In the period between 1994-2000, Europe had more players in the top 100 than any other continent. That changed from 2001 onwards for male badminton players when Asia had more players in the top 100 than any other continent. In fact, Asia has increased their dominance ever since. In 2016 – 2020 nearly 70% of the top 100 male players represented a country in Asia.
Europe, on the other hand, has dropped from nearly 50% to less than 30% of players in the top 100.
On the female player side, Europe held on a little longer only to experience a significant drop between 2006 to 2010. That’s when the Asian continent began its domination. Since then, Asian badminton players have gone from strength to strength whilst their European competitors have experienced a gradual decrease in female badminton players on the top 100 rankings.
Perhaps only second to the Olympics, The All England Open Badminton Championships might just be the most prestigious badminton tournament around. It is also the oldest badminton tournament in existence. The first tournament took place in London on April 4, 1899, as the “Badminton Association Tournament”.
Apart from involuntary cancellations from 1915-1919 and again from 1940-1946, the All England tournament has been going on every year for well over 100 years. Until 1977 it was even considered the unofficial World Championship of badminton. While the locations have changed from different venues in London and since 1994 to Birmingham, the special aura surrounding the tournament remains.
In this article, you will learn about the history and traditions of All England. You will see and hear interviews with former All England winners and officials.
Following a successful tournament in Guildford in 1898, the inaugural All England Championships was held in 1898 in Westminster, London. Only doubles were played. 14 pairs entered in men’s doubles, 13 pairs in women’s doubles, and 20 pairs entered in mixed doubles. All entries were from England. The point system used was best of 3 sets to 15.
D.W. Oakes won both men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Shuttlecock complaints at first All England tournament
According to the April 8th issue of The Field, the Country Gentleman’s Newspaper, the tournament was a success, but the consistency of the shuttlecocks was not.
Viktor Axelsen book: Viktor Axelsen has just released a new autobiography. The book is entitled “Vindervilje” (which roughly translates to The Will to Win). The book is about Viktor’s career and offers lots of tips and good advice related to badminton.
The book makes for an interesting read for any fan of Axelsen and badminton fans in general.
Viktor Axelsen’s book was originally published in Danish. The English edition is expected to be published in 2024. As a Badmintonspeak.com reader, you get a chance to win a copy. We will ship the Viktor Axelsen book to your home address.
Google translated excerpt of the Viktor Axelsen book:
I think that if we elite athletes have to take a purely political approach to where we are going to play, then there are a great many countries where that is not an option.
My approach is that in the countries where tournaments are held – and where Danish companies operate and Danish citizens, including politicians, go on holiday – it is also okay for me to be there. We play tournaments in Dubai, we play in China.
We played official championships in Russia until there was an official political boycott of the country. Because then it’s a different matter – athletes must of course also stop traveling in a certain country.
But in the end, I found it difficult to see that I should be given greater responsibility than the rest of official Denmark. I know what’s going on in the Middle East, and I also know that Qatar has been awarded the World Cup in football.
Again, a state boycott would be needed so that the footballers do not play there. I don’t think we can expect a higher political morality from athletes than the rest of the Danish people and the top of Danish business life.
Dubai was the solution I felt had the most benefits overall. Going to Switzerland, Monaco, or whatever else people have written about online, was not at all on the table. It was the badminton setup that did the talking. These were my opportunities in everyday life and not the zeros on the check because then I should have chosen another sport to become the best in the world.
Viktor Axelsen’s book about badminton and how to achieve great results is a great inspiration for any badminton player. Parents of talented badminton players will also find a lot of inspiration by reading the Viktor Axelsen book.
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