Source:REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
[Saba Sports News] Recently, Chiharu Shida posted on her personal social media with text and pictures: “It’s been a long time since I returned to Japan. I was surprised to find it had already gotten cool when I came back~ Although my summer memories are full of badminton training, my photo album still holds precious photos my sister took for me when I went out~ I need to relax occasionally too. I’ll keep doing my best in autumn and winter~!” Away from the court, Chiharu Shida instantly switches her style to the “Japanese Sweet Girl” channel. Loose oversized T-shirts are her favorite, printed with cute cartoon images of badminton idols or patterns special to Akita Prefecture. She particularly prefers blue and red tones; these items appear frequently on her social media, paired with high-waisted denim shorts or pleated skirts, showing a soft side completely different from her on-court persona. Privately, she deeply understands the way of “color therapy”: she wears white T-shirts when tired from training, and opts for brighter colors like pink or light blue when in a good mood, which also adds approachability in the eyes of her fans. When appearing at the BWF Annual Gala last year, Chiharu Shida wore a white, square-neck, body-hugging dress. The neckline was embroidered with pearls forming a badminton racket pattern, and the hem length revealed her ankles, paired with nude high heels, perfectly blending the gentleness of an Eastern woman with the upright posture of an athlete.