Badminton, BWF World Tour Finals, Denmark, Viktor Axelsen
[Saba Sports News] Recently, a group of badminton players congregated
at Hangzhou’s Huanglong Hotel to attend the welcome dinner for the Badminton
World Tour Finals. Following the welcome ceremony, Viktor Axelsen, the Danish
badminton star and current top-ranked player in men’s singles, displayed his
exceptional Mandarin skills during an interview. Axelsen expressed his
admiration for Hangzhou, describing it as a beautiful city with a fantastic
arena. He eagerly anticipated the start of the tournament and expressed a
desire to explore Hangzhou further. Axelsen’s Mandarin pronunciation was
notably accurate, even surpassing the expectations of some fans who jokingly
remarked that his Mandarin was better than theirs. Interestingly, Axelsen’s
original name is Axelsen, and he previously studied badminton in Beijing for a
period of time. In an effort to immerse himself in Chinese culture, he adopted
the Chinese name Axelsen, which carries a clear meaning. In a previous
interview, Axelsen stated that Chinese badminton is the strongest in the world,
which motivated him to learn Chinese. As early as September 2017, Axelsen
delivered a speech in Chinese at Guangzhou International College. His good
looks, exceptional playing skills, and ability to speak Chinese have garnered
him a considerable fan base in China.