Japan stop on Legends’ Vision World Tour way beyond the original four

The Japan leg of the Legends’ Vision tour included not only doubles star Lee Yong Dae but also some of Japan’s top para-badminton players.

By Emzi Regala.  Photos: Miyuki Komiya (live)

The Legends’ Vision, founded two years ago with the support of Yonex, by four badminton greats Peter Gade, Taufik Hidayat, Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei, steered their world tour toward Tokyo, Japan in mid-September.  Touring the world to inspire younger generations and badminton enthusiasts alike, Legends’ vision is to improve the profile of badminton.

Joining them this year is Lee Yong Dae, a doubles legend in his own right.  Lee had already appeared alongside the other four in England and was part of an event in Korea this year with Peter Gade the only visitor but the real first on this occasion was the Legends’ Vision happening in conjunction with Japan’s hosting of the first Hulic-Daihatsu Japan Para-Badminton International tournament.

The day began with a Sunday brunch, where the press had time to chat with the Legends.   Peter Gade pointed that the addition of Para-Badminton in the Tokyo Olympics is key proof that badminton is not only increasing in popularity but that it is also being elevated in its status as a world sport.  Lee Yong Dae admitted that he had practiced with the Para-Badminton team in his home country Korea, and has understood how physically demanding and difficult the sport is compared to the badminton that he is used to playing.

Lin Dan thanked Yonex for partnering with them, and he reminisced about how the Legends Vision started in Beijing a couple of years back, giving them the chance to reach out to kids and media alike. And while Taufik Hidayat admitted that compared to his fellow legends, he probably is the spending the least amount of time on badminton court, his focus is sports overall in his home country Indonesia.

Later in the afternoon, the legends held a badminton clinic attended by young Japanese athletes at the Machida Gymnasium, Tokyo.  Joining to support the event were Japan national team members: Nozomi Okuhara, Akane Yamaguchi, Ayaka Takahashi, Misaki Matsutomo, Keigo Sonoda, and Takeshi Kamura, as well as  head coach Park Joo Bong.   The event’s finale was an exhibition match to entertain the cheering crowd who came to watch the event.

The Legends Vision World Tour is scheduled to go to Mumbai India in November 2017, and will make a final stop at Paris, France in December 2017.