Kuala Lumpur: On May 26, 2023, badminton legends Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan were officially inducted into the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame in an induction ceremony that was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and marked the first time that Lin Dan has traveled abroad in four years.
Both Lee and Lin started competing at the senior level around the same time in 2000 and since then, the “Lin-Lee Rivalry” has dominated the sport of badminton for about two decades. Despite fierce battles on the court, both legends formed a close friendship off the court.
Highlights of Lin-Lee Rivalry:
Lin Dan, also known as “Super Dan,” is the only player in badminton history to achieve a “Super Grand Slam.” He won two Olympic gold medals, 5 men’s singles titles at World Championships, 2 World Cups, 6 Thomas Cups, 5 Sudirman Cups, 6 All England, 2 Asian Games, and 4 Asian Championships men’s singles titles. Lin Dan retired in 2020 and he was ranked first in the men’s singles world for a total of 239 weeks.
Introduction of Lin Dan and Lin’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech:
Lee Chong Wei, on the other hand, held the men’s singles world No.1 ranking for the longest time – a total of 349 weeks, until his retirement in 2019. He won a total of 69 championships, including 47 BWF Superseries and World Tour titles, 4 All England Championships, 2 Asian Championships, and 5 gold medals in the Commonwealth Games. He also won three Olympic silver medals and three world runner-ups.
Introduction of Lee Chong Wei and Lee’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech:
Both legends have played against each other a total of 40 times, including 22 finals. Lin Dan won 28 games, while Lee Chong Wei won the other 12 games. They have produced so many classic matches in badminton, such as the 2011 London World Championships men’s singles final, the 2012 London Olympics men’s singles final, and the 2016 Rio Olympics men’s singles semi-finals.
The President of BWF – Poul-Erik Hoyer, said that Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei were the most dominant men’s singles players of their generation. Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei’s induction into the Hall of Fame is a recognition of their remarkable achievements and contributions to the sport of badminton.
