Li Shifeng loses to Kodai at World Championships; says ‘big ant’ bothered him
Li Shifeng, a towering 6-foot-1 Chinese badminton player, was defeated by Kodai Naraoka of Japan at the World Championships. Despite trailing 13-21, 23-21, and 21-11, Shifeng claimed that a bug on the court was the reason for his loss. He recounted how the bug, which he initially thought he had moved away with his racquet, returned to distract him in the second set, causing him to think about squishing it.
Shifeng's performance, coupled with those of his teammates Shi Yuqi and Went Hong Yang, marked a disappointing end to Chinese singles men's efforts in the World Championship, as none of the three managed to reach the quarterfinals. This represented the worst result for Chinese singles men in the event's history, surpassing the previous low of 1995 when only one Chinese player advanced past the last eight.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
