Source: REUTERS / CARLA CARNIEL
[Saba Sports News] The Badminton World Federation has released the participant list for the All England Open, which shows significant adjustments in the Chinese badminton team’s mixed doubles pairs. The world No. 1 mixed doubles pair, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, have swapped partners with the world No. 2 pair, Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin. This adjustment has sparked discussions and speculations among fans. Most fans believe that the mixed doubles adjustment is just a bold attempt, given that there are still three and a half years until the next Olympics, providing ample time for the Chinese badminton team to experiment. The second viewpoint is that both pairs have their respective issues. Among them, Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin often disagree during matches; Huang Dongping prefers to play defensively, and changing Feng Yanzhe’s partner could offer him more challenges. The third viewpoint is relatively extreme, suggesting that Huang Dongping is too old and needs to be replaced, and the reformation is aimed at winning a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. The fourth viewpoint is a bit shocking, claiming that Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin are in a romantic relationship, thus they were forced to split.