Before reading this article, please click "Follow" to facilitate your discussion and sharing. This article is only published in today's headlines, and it is not allowed to be carried on any platform, and the handling must be investigated
Xiao Er said entertainment
Editor |
Preamble:
"When will the national feather regain its glory?"
This is a question that countless badminton lovers have been waiting for for many years.
During this period, there was a person who proved to the world with practical actions that Chinese badminton can still reach the top! He is Li Yongbo, who is known as the "godfather of national badminton".
However, just when he was about to realize his long-cherished wish, he chose to stay away from the badminton circle and live a new life.
What happened to make this once-decorated coach make such a choice?
Let's step into his legendary life to find out.
Abandon the racket to coach and create a miracle in the badminton world
Li Yongbo is a talented badminton player who has won many titles during his career, including singles and doubles medals at national competitions and the Olympic Games.
In the 80s, Chinese badminton fell into a low period, the older generation of athletes retired one after another, and the situation of lack of talent seriously affected the strength of the national team.
Li Yongbo, who was at the peak of his career, resolutely chose to retire and plunged into the cause of badminton education.
After the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, he was entrusted with the important task of serving as the head coach of the Chinese badminton national team, shouldering the important task of revitalizing the national badminton team.
At that time, the national team lineup was indeed withering in talent, and the young players were uneven, and the strength was uneven.
Many people are shy away from taking over this "mess", for fear of becoming a backstabber.
But Li Yongbo knows that the heavy responsibility lies on his shoulders, and he is full of confidence and has set a grand dream of "cultivating 100 world champions".
From the very beginning of his tenure, Li Yongbo carried out drastic reforms within the national team, aiming to revive the team's morale and lay a good foundation for future development.
He also personally said his vow to the coach and players - "I want to train 100 badminton world champions!"
The high-spirited oath was like a shot in the arm, quickly injecting infinite motivation into the whole team.
Everyone's fighting spirit was ignited, and everyone aspired to become a world champion and realize Li Yongbo's dream together.
However, just because Li Yongbo was once just a good athlete doesn't mean he will be a great coach.
In order to make up for this shortcoming, he can only teach himself various theoretical knowledge and combine it with his own practical experience to tailor an exclusive training plan for the team members one-on-one.
A tough start to the game, laying the foundation for victory
Under the leadership of Li Yongbo, the national team soon started a new round of journey.
The Hiroshima Asian Games were their first appearance, but after a period of lack of practical training and a rush to prepare for the game, the team's performance was extremely poor and the results were lower than expected.
After the game, the players were all demoralized and shaken by their strength.
As a qualified leader, Li Yongbo quickly summed up the lessons learned in the game, adjusted his mentality in time, and used positive and optimistic words to boost morale, which soon rekindled the morale of the whole team.
After experiencing the setback of the Hiroshima Asian Games, the national team quickly regained its form in the subsequent Sudirman Cup and held back its energy to win the championship in one fell swoop.
Under the momentum of this victory, the self-confidence of the players has been greatly boosted, and the people of the whole country are even more complacent.
As the saying goes, "go further".
Li Yongbo did not get complacent because of the success of the Sudirman Cup, on the contrary, he listed the problems and shortcomings found in the game one by one, and asked the whole team to continue to work hard.
With perseverance and diligence, the national team has become more and more courageous under the leadership of Li Yongbo, and its achievements have soared, and the highest honors such as Olympic gold medals, world championship championships, and Uber Cup championships have fallen into the bag one after another, which can be described as the limelight for a while.
Shocked the world and reached the pinnacle of badminton
At that time, table tennis had become a shining business card of Chinese sports, and it was full of dominance.
Under the training of Li Yongbo, the Chinese badminton team has also risen rapidly, and its strength should not be underestimated.
They were invincible and won all the championships in the "three major tournaments", including the Thomas Cup, Sudirman Cup, World Championships, etc., breaking the world badminton record in one fell swoop.
It was the first team in history to win these three major championships, which can be described as a sensation in the entire sports world.
At the 2012 London Olympics, the national team won five gold medals, which once again proved to the world that Chinese badminton has reached the top podium.
Li Yongbo held the trophy in his hand, and his smug expression showed that he was successful in his coaching career.
Just when he was about to realize his "100 crowns" vow, Li Yongbo chose to step down as the head coach of the national team.
The decision came as a surprise, but it was well documented.
After years of high-intensity work, coupled with the growing years, Li Yongbo's physical condition has begun to decline, and his mental state can hardly support the high-intensity work rhythm.
In order to cherish the precious second half of his life, retirement has become the best choice.
In 2017, Li Yongbo officially withdrew from the national team and said goodbye to the halo of the badminton world.
Today, the 92 World Champions he has produced are a testament to how strong and reliable his vows were.
As the saying goes, "Leave your clothes away, and start from scratch, hiding your merit and fame."
Li Yongbo faded out of the badminton circle, opened a new way of life, and embarked on another road of life.
The situation is changing, and the road ahead is difficult
Behind the glory, Li Yongbo has also been controversial and questioned.
The most talked about is the "handicap" at the London 2012 Olympics.
At that time, the two women's doubles pairs of the national team could face a civil war before the semi-finals.
In order to avoid this embarrassing situation of being forced to "kill each other", Li Yongbo seems to have instructed the players to adopt the practice of "handicap the ball".
For a while, the game scene was extremely ugly, so that the audience couldn't help but boo.
In the end, both women's doubles pairs, including the Korean side, were disqualified.
Obviously, the team that is most likely to win gold has fallen short because of this incident, leaving regrets.
This incident has caused a lot of turmoil in the outside world, and Li Yongbo has also been severely criticized by public opinion and has been condemned like never before.
Another incident that began at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was the suspicion that Li Yongbo had embezzled players' bonuses.
At one time, some coaches collectively wrote to the China Table Tennis Center, asking for a thorough investigation of the matter.
Although it was found that Li Yongbo did not commit such a mistake, it still made him a bond within the national feather.
There are even more ridiculous rumors, such as that Li Yongbo has inappropriate relationships with several female players, and that he excludes others in order to preserve his illegitimate son's position in the national team.
This undoubtedly cast a shadow on Li Yongbo's personal image.
Retreat to the field, and finally show your true face
All kinds of doubts and controversies, coupled with the plummeting performance of the national feather after the London Olympics, made Li Yongbo have the idea of retiring.
Finally, in 2017, he officially stepped down as the head coach of the national team and withdrew from the field he had worked in for many years.
A few years ago, some netizens photographed Li Yongbo in Malaysia.
What is surprising is that in these photos, Li Yongbo is not elegantly placed in some kind of rich and noble occasion, but standing alone in the field, looking like an ordinary peasant.
This lifestyle choice is truly beyond everyone's expectations.
But perhaps, this is exactly what Li Yongbo pursues in the depths of his heart - to return to the mountains and forests, escape from the world, and live an unfettered and free life.
It is also in this choice that we can see the true side of Li Yongbo as an ordinary person.
Epilogue:
Throughout Li Yongbo's legendary life, his glorious years and dark side are together.
He opened up a new future for Chinese badminton with practical actions, lifted the national badminton from the trough again, and helped it climb to the top of the world.
However, the outstanding features are often accompanied by shadows that are not well known.
Whether it is controversy or anything else, it is impossible to hide Li Yongbo's outstanding contribution to the national feather.
With his 92 World Championship achievements, he proved that the rhetoric of the year was not nonsense.
And his decision to choose to retreat to the countryside near the end also shows us his desire and pursuit of a free life.