[Saba Sports News] Recently, the official social media account of the Nippon Badminton Association (JBA) released a statement explaining why the women’s doubles pair Chiharu Shida and Arisa Igarashi withdrew from back-to-back tournaments: the Japan Open and China Open. The association cited Shida’s poor physical condition as the official reason for their pullout. Shortly afterward, eagle-eyed fans noticed that Chiharu Shida had unfollowed the JBA’s official social media page, though her motive remains unclear. The association still follows Shida, yet she has removed the official account from her following list. Meanwhile, her partnership with new teammate Arisa Igarashi appears to be on the verge of collapse. Sources indicate Igarashi has lined up a new partner for upcoming tournaments, leaving Shida as a free agent without a fixed doubles teammate. A string of controversies has surrounded Shida for months: splitting up with long-time partner Nami Matsuyama, leaving her club to become an independent athlete, and sparking heated public debate after signing an endorsement deal with a Chinese sports brand. Now, her troubled partnership with Igarashi and her visibly strained relationship with the national badminton body have added further layers to her ongoing turmoil.
The editor believes that Chiharu Shida has borne the brunt of threefold pressure all by herself: commercial conflicts, online abuse, and cold institutional indifference. Her points-chasing campaign for the upcoming Olympic Games now faces severe headwinds. Is her current predicament rooted purely in physical injuries, or a drawn-out power struggle over her long-term career plans?