When a great player starts playing great it is awesome to watch and terrible to play against, says Rohit Brijnath.
Singaporean shuttler Loh Kean Yew shakes hands with Denmark’s Viktor Axelsenafter the Paris 2024 Olympic Badminton Men’s quarter final on Aug 2.
Jingoism is boring and blind and yet sport is also about allegiance. The French crowds have been superbly fair and yet have also joyously expressed home advantage. It’s a thrill to watch someone from your nation do well. Or to cheer for a kid from your next suburb who has made it to the Games. Who plays for himself, of course, but in a little way for you, too. The history he writes is a gift to you.
It’s kind of sweet that fans of both nations are wearing red and white. The Danes make more noise because Axelsen wins more points. Momentum shifts in matches with breathtaking speed and here it lurches from even to lopsided. One moment it’s 3-2 to Axelsen, next it’s 14-3. The Dane paces as the Singaporean is bandaged. He shadow plays. He looks infected with urgency. When a great player starts playing great it is awesome to watch and terrible to play against. Loh hits wonderful shots but they all come back. His fine coach, Kelvin Ho, sits with his arms tightly crossed. How do you teach someone to break down such brilliance?
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