There couldn’t have been a more fitting finale to the 100th All England Open Badminton Championships on Sunday.
Denmark’s Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen saved four match points against compatriots Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen to win the men’s doubles title 26-24 in the third game, bringing to an end one of the most thrilling tournaments in
recent times.
Through the week, the fact that this was the 100th edition of the world’s most famous tournament was on everybody’s mind. The All England is often compared to Wimbledon in tennis, but the contemporary scene is far removed from the romanticism that it is associated with.
The problem with the All England is that its venue has constantly shifted, and so, most past players feel no affinity to the current location. One expected to see a galaxy of greats turn up — but disturbingly, the only ones who came were those who are still associated with the game as coaches or officials — Park Joo Bong, Rexy Mainaky, Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.
Not even the legendary Judy Hashman, who won a staggering ten singles titles and 17 overall, arrived despite living in England. No special effort seems to have been made to ensure the presence of former greats — and thus we had the spectacle of the 100th All England without its greatest champions.
Rudy Hartono was not there; neither was Erland Kops, Liem Swie King, Lene Koppen, Morten Frost, Prakash Padukone, and several other names whose identities are so closely linked to the All England.
Indeed, it was left to the Badminton World Federation — and not Badminton England — to bring out a commemorative volume on the first 75 years of the BWF. It would have been more appropriate had the national association released a souvenir on the 100th year of the great event.
The on-court action lived up to the event. All players were aware of the occasion, and eventually it was Malaysian world No.1, Lee Chong Wei, who took the men’s singles title. Lee has been unfairly criticised in Malaysia for being a choker, but this time he kept his nerve. Just as he stepped off court, Lee received a call from the Malaysian prime minister who had stayed up all night to watch the match.
Tine Rasmussen might be ungainly and almost awkward for a badminton player, but her power and netplay gave her the title over China’s Wang Yihan. That China did not win either of the singles titles was a rare occurrence.
The standout performer was world no.20 Kenichi Tago. The Japanese dazzled with his all-court ability and his courage under pressure. Tago looks sound in all departments; as Mainaky observed, if Tago can keep his head, he could be a force to reckon with.
The Indians, excepting Saina Nehwal, were disappointing. Saina became only the fifth Indian in the semifinals of the All England after Prakash Nath, Dinesh Khanna, Prakash Padukone and Pullela Gopichand; and by the look of things, she should be in a few more to come.
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