[Saba Sports News] The official website of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) was suddenly updated, and Chen Yufei’s name was removed from the entry list for the Badminton Asia Championships. On the eve of the tournament, the defending champion pulled out of this high-profile badminton event held on home soil in Ningbo, which is truly regrettable. What makes it even more disappointing is that after this withdrawal, Chen Yufei’s world ranking dropped directly from 3rd to 4th, as she lost all the defending points she earned at last year’s Badminton Asia Championships.
It is reported that Chen Yufei never traveled to Ningbo at all. The Chinese national badminton team had conducted on-site training in Ningbo to adapt to the venue, but she was not with the squad. Earlier this year, Chen Yufei withdrew from the Malaysia Open due to physical issues. She also mentioned on social media that she has been suffering from persistent inflammation in her shoulder and ankle. This withdrawal is attributed to a recurrence of her old right shoulder injury, compounded by an overly packed schedule this season. From the German Open to the All England Open Badminton Championships, her body could no longer cope. After playing a three-set thriller against An Se-young in the semi-finals of the All England Open Badminton Championships, Chen Yufei had been in recovery mode, and the team’s medical staff advised her not to take the risk of competing.
In the editor’s opinion, although Chen Yufei’s withdrawal has diminished some of the tournament’s appeal, from the perspective of professional athlete management, it is a rational and necessary decision that will help her maintain competitiveness on bigger stages in the future.