Guangzhou: The popularity of World No. 1 men’s singles player Viktor Axelsen was on full display as throngs of badminton fans welcomed him to Guangzhou, China to promote the Denmark Day on Tuesday as part of the China – Denmark Tourism Year 2017.
Ever since Viktor Axelsen defeated Chen Long, Lin Dan to win the 2017 World Championships and outlasted Lee Chong Wei at last Sunday’s Japan Open final, Axelsen has been seen as the new badminton superstar that could herald the start of a new era at the elite level of world badminton.
For all his brilliance on the court, Axelsen has also become a viral hit in China with his impressive command of Mandarin. Axelsen started learning Mandarin in 2014 and got his Mandarin lessons in Copenhagen via Skype from a school in Beijing.
Axelsen’s Chinese language skills was put to the test on Tuesday when a reporter challenged him about his proficiency in Mandarin, and as usual, Axelsen responded to the challenge by reciting the philosophical writing from Mencius (a Confucian philosopher in fourth century BCE) that titled “Born in the hardships, died of peace”.
“It’s nice to feel the popularity, as badminton is a huge sport in China.”
The Dane also told reporters that it’s important to see the fans outside of a building, because it’s usually hard to estimate the crowd site inside a stadium.
“When you are playing on the badminton court, it’s hard to see how many people are cheering for you. The fans are really cute, and it feels good to know there are so many people who like me and support me here in China.”
Speaking of his future goals, the 23 years Axelsen has his eyes set on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and continues to take leaps in that direction by working with his team to set a long-term plan for that.
