{
  "id": 1286467,
  "title": "Canadian shuttler Victor keeps feet on ground after walking on clouds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/canadian-shuttler-victor-keeps-feet-on-ground-after-walking-on-clouds",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-16T14:20:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2026/08/1512568/canadian-shuttler-victor-keeps-feet-ground-after-walking-clouds"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canadian badminton player Victor Lai is preparing for the upcoming BWF World Championships in New Delhi with a cautious mindset, acknowledging that he is still learning despite his remarkable year in 2025. Lai became the first Canadian to win a medal at the tournament by claiming bronze in Paris, and he also became the first Canadian to break into the top 10 of men's singles and the first to win a Super 1000 title on the World Tour after winning the Indonesia Open in June.\n\nReflecting on his performance at the 2025 Worlds, Lai expressed that he felt a sense of freedom and relaxation that he will never experience again. He described the match as a time when he \"knew where my opponent was going to hit, knew what I was going to do, and could change what I wanted,\" without making any easy mistakes. Lai attributed his success to trusting his technical and tactical skills more during the game, even though he admitted that he is still learning to handle changes throughout the day.\n\nLai will begin his campaign against South Korean world No. 39 Jeon Hyeok Jin, and could face challenging opponents in the quarter-finals, such as Indonesia's world No. 3 Jonatan Christie, Thailand's world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, or France's world No. 5 Christo Popov. Popov, who is targeting France's first men's singles medal, may encounter countryman Alex Lanier in the second round, followed by a potential quarter-final against 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The energy surrounding the tournament is high, and both Victor and Christo Popov are eager to secure a medal in men's singles.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: Canadian shuttler Victor Lai is taking a cautious approach to the BWF World Championships in New Delhi next week, insisting he is still learning despite a historic breakthrough year.",
  "key_points": [
    "Victor Lai wins bronze at 2025 Worlds, becoming first Canadian to medal.",
    "Sets new records: top 10 in men's singles, Super 1000 title.",
    "Faces tough competition in quarter-finals including Popov and Christie."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}