Im curious which player had the best physical ability (strenght, stamina, fitness, a suitable body for badminton etc.) already at a young age. The players that come to my mind are: Jonatan Christie He was looking almost the same when he was 14-15 years like what he does today, and was already known for his strong physicality back then. Akane Yamaguchi She always looked bulky but has proved she actually is very strong, came from nowhere to win JPN open at age 16. Taufik maybe but I didnt watch badminton when he was young so I dont really know, and he seems to rely mostly on superior skill to win. Ko Sung Hyun maybe? Anyone else who has any opinion about this subject?
I don't remember exactly if he was implicated also, but half a year ago there was a scandal involving parents and coaches in India underreporting their players ages by a few years so that they get to compete against younger less developed and less experienced players. So Satwik may be older than 18... Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
Definitely not Ko Sung Hyun. He never played overseas even until he was 20. By his own admission, he was too weak as a teenager, and not a good enough player.
How old was Markis Kido or Jung Jae Sung (RIP)when they started bouncing and smashing around the professional circuit with their muscular bodies? Sho Sasaki was always strong. but I wonder if his muscles worked against him.
Jung Jae Sung was also more or less a late bloomer. His partner Lee Jae Jin was named to the Asian Games in 2002 as a teenager but Jung wasn't. He did play a few international events but his first real move on the international scene came with the rash of retirements after Athens. He and Lee upset both Athens finalists at the nationals, then a few months later, beat the world #1 at the Korea Open. By then, Jung was already 22. Mind you, even a year earlier, in January 2004, Jung and Lee beat the Sydney silver medallists at the nationals and the crowd was oohing and ahing at the sound of the smashes from this virtually unknown athlete playing for Wonkwang University. By the time he was playing with Lee Yong Dae in 2006, at age 24, he was commenting on how he wasn't quite as powerful as he used to be.
Here is lee chun hei at 20/21 years of age. If you tell me you’ve seen a bigger pair of 21 year old badminton legs than those trunks i dont believe believe you. If i was him i would go even shorter and play in my underwear
Choi Sol Gyu was very fit even when he was a teenager. He had huge thighs even at 16. In addition to the muscles, he used to play all three events when he was a junior: in 2011, and also in 2013, when he was in all 3 finals in Germany.