Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, June 2, 2021: Olympic gold medallists Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng have been inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame.
The trio from China will be officially recognised at a virtual ceremony and media event hosted by BWF on Wednesday, June 16.
Women’s singles player Zhang and the men’s doubles team of Cai and Fu were key figures in China’s dominance of major championships during the 2000s and early 2010s and demonstrated tremendous skill, talent, sportsmanship and longevity.
BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer lauded their stellar achievements during their careers and labelled them as instrumental figures in the history of the sport.
“Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng are iconic figures from recent years,” said Høyer.
“They played at an incredibly high level, which helped them win every major title in badminton. Most importantly, the standards they set will always be a challenge for younger generations of players who seek to emulate them.
“I congratulate them on entering the BWF Hall of Fame, which is a well-deserved recognition for these three great players from China.”
Zhang won Olympic gold at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, while the men’s doubles team of Cai and Fu won four BWF World Championships, Olympic gold at London 2012 and silver at Beijing 2008 and Asian Games team gold in 2006 and 2010.
Following Cai’s retirement, Fu partnered Zhang Nan to claim a second successive Olympic gold at Rio 2016.