Chapter 30 3. Taufik: a lifelong rival, a lifelong friend

Taufik, a wonderful flower in the international badminton world, his style of play and temperament are mysterious and weird, and his Dow style is even more unpredictable and invisible. He made his debut at the age of 16, played in the Sydney Olympics as the top seed at the age of 19, and became the first Grand Slam player in the world badminton men's singles player who won the Olympic Games, World Championships, Thomas Cup and Asian Games at the age of 24. In 2012, he was 31 years old and the father of a pair of children. He will set foot on the Olympic Games for the fourth time. In the past 15 years, he was once the goal I surpassed, and he was also the benchmark that the media used to ridicule me.He is my opponent for life, but he must be a friend for life.

The story between me and Taufik is often fueled by the media.Fortunately, none of us care about these.Some people say that the "grievances" between me and Taufik began in the Athens Olympics. What I want to tell you is: After witnessing the scene where Taufik won the Olympic championship and wept with joy, I told the coach that I would change the racket for W700—— —That is the racket that Taufik used when he won the championship. I rarely take the initiative to change the racket, and that is the only time I have taken the initiative to change the racket so far.Because I think the original racket didn't bring me any good luck, and in my opinion at that time, the racket in Taufik's hand was the best racket in the world at that time.It was also the racket that I used for four years, accompanying me to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In Athens, I watched every game of Taufik.Because I was out early, I had to take a video of my teammates.I watched him go from 8 to 4, 4 to 2, all the way to the final.Game after game, round after round, he played better and better, chic and free.The iconic "Dow" style of play is pleasing to the eye, including me as an opponent. After ranking among the top eight men's singles, I remember Taufik said in an interview that the Olympic champion must be his.He dared to say that, and the final champion indeed belonged to him.He said at the time: "All previous Olympic men's singles championships were won by second-rate players, not top players. This time I want to break this law, and I will win the championship." This kind of kingly spirit runs through his entire life. career.

At the Sydney Olympics, 19-year-old Taufik played as the top seed, but lost to Ji Xinpeng, who later won the championship, in the quarter-finals.When he arrived in Athens four years later, he was completely humiliated. Sometimes, I see myself in him.In addition to the similar experiences, we all have the so-called unrestrained, uninhibited and wild that the media likes to say. It was also after the 2004 Athens Olympics that the media began to talk about the two of us.One is the Olympic champion, and the other is the world's number one. If you don't create some sparks, you seem to be sorry for yourself.

Thinking about it now, I am also very grateful to have such an opponent, so many media and fans who pay attention to us.Every step forward, Taufik's stimulation or provocation is indispensable in the process, and he really affects me. For example, when many people compare me with him, Taufik will say: "He has not won a single world championship." The next time, Taufik will say, "He has not won an Olympic championship yet."A few years later, Taufik said, "He hasn't won the Asian Games yet, he's just number one in the world."Therefore, his few words made me work harder, and I can only convince my opponent if I keep moving forward.

Maybe Taufik just wanted to stop the media's mouth, maybe he didn't expect Lin Dan to win so many important championship titles later.But for the Lin Dan who just experienced the defeat of the Athens Olympics, I will introspect - I only had one Thomas Cup team champion in 2004, and many of Taufik's hands are individual events that better reflect personal abilities champion.This is a reality that I cannot escape as a men's singles player. In the 2005 World Championships held in Anaheim, USA, I had a chance to face Taufik head-on.Although I beat Taufik 2-0 in the Sudirman Cup final earlier that year and helped the Chinese team regain the lost Sudirman Cup, it was a team competition after all.

At the World Championships, I saw Taufik beat Lee Chong Wei in the semi-finals, or won Wensa before, and found that he was in very good condition at that time.But at that time, he hadn't really shocked me, because it was the first time we played against each other in the finals of a major competition, so it's a bit ignorant. However, when he gave me a 13-0 start in the final, I realized that my opponent was very strong.I found that after I made a mistake, he would catch my mistake and keep getting points and points.And on the court, I was extremely helpless, and there was no better way to deal with him.Until the second game for a short period of time, I got a little lead, but soon a small mistake made, and after the opponent tied the score, the initiative of the game was handed over to Taufik again.

It wasn't until I really experienced it that I realized that Taufik's strength is not only in the technical level, but also in his ability to control the field.In situations where he has the advantage, he will do whatever it takes to extend it to the end of the game.Because I found out that he played harder than me, attack, attack, grab the net, attack... That score made me feel extremely ashamed.At that time, my strength hadn't reached that level, but my fame had risen first.So, while a lot of people follow me, there are also a lot of people waiting to see my jokes.After that disastrous defeat to Taufik, many media began to criticize me.

Today, many people think that Lin Dan has 16 world champions, but will he achieve 17 by the London Olympics?They always feel that this is a normal increase in numbers.They must not know how much I paid in the process. At the Doha Asian Games one year after the Anaheim World Championships, I was the new men's singles champion at the World Championships that year, but this time I still fell into the hands of Taufik. In the Asian Games team competition, I won Taufik twice.In the men's singles final, we played against each other again.In one week, Taufik and I played three games.At this time, I fell into a situation similar to the 2005 World Championships. I kept reminding myself: "As long as I do this, I should be able to beat him."

However, in the final game, his performance still exceeded my prediction.I feel that he played very hard and with a lot of heart.Unlike in the team competition, when he encounters difficulties, he will give up quickly, make mistakes, and leave me with opportunities.In the men's singles final of the Doha Asian Games, he hardly gave me a chance, and he won me in two games. In the second game, I took the lead and got the game point, but I couldn't win in the end. In this way, from the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2005 World Championships, to the 2006 Doha Asian Games defending title, I witnessed how Taufik went to glory step by step. To a certain extent, I also fulfilled him personally.

After missing three consecutive years in the competition, I started to think again.I believe that an athlete like Taufik has experienced so much, his performance in the final must be different.Taufik is the most majestic of all men's singles players I have ever seen.Taufik's personality can be said to be innate, but most importantly, he has experienced a lot and won many top championships.It was an aura emanating from the inside out, and he didn't even care about many things. Some media once described Indonesia's badminton king in this way. "Indonesia produced a badminton genius in 10 years, but only a handsome badminton genius in 100 years. His (Taufik) hand feeling is unparalleled, and his midfield volley is like Avalokitesvara. But limited by his physical ability, he In the past two years, his state has been going downhill. Perhaps it is the reason why geniuses are always sloppy, and Taufik is often absent-minded on the court, but once he is serious, he can destroy everything." Taufik has always gone his own way, sometimes the game is lax, and sometimes he is penny-pinching.He may have just won the championship in this grand prix, and may be eliminated in the first round of the next race.It can be said, not chic, not Tao Fei. Look at the match between Taufik and Chen Jin in the 2012 All England Championship.Not only did he kill the ball, but he also flew to save the ball. In the end, Chen Jin couldn't kill him.How many years have I not seen the scene where Taufik smashes after picking a shot, flies out, gets up and comes back again.So Chen Jin didn't deserve to lose, he really fought too hard.And every smash of his hits your self-confidence very much, almost all of them press the line.His cleverness is also that if he fights head-on with Chen Jin, he may not have such good physical fitness, so after scoring a point in the assault, he rests, wipes his sweat, and adjusts. He tried to make a surprise attack again, and scored more points.This is Taufik, the opponent I respect the most.As long as it is for his own goals, he will go all out to fight with you.Everything is in his hands, he has his character. The All England Championship can be regarded as the "cinnabar mole" in Taufik's heart, and it is also the only regret in his career.Because of its status of more than a hundred years of history, the All England Championship is known as the "Little World Championship".After achieving the Grand Slam in 2005, Taufik said the All England is his next goal.Over the years, Taufik has never given up chasing even if he is no longer as brave as he used to be on the field. In the 2012 All England Open, we met again in the quarter-finals.The game ended with me winning 2-0.In the mixed interview area after the game, we happened to finish the interview at the same time, then smiled at each other and gave each other a hug.Many media "complained" that they couldn't capture this moment. They didn't expect such a scene to happen to the two of us.In the past, Taufik always said "I have nothing to do with Lin Dan, it's just a language barrier".And later, we found that sincerity is the best communication.This hug is worth a thousand words to us.It's more of a tacit understanding than a courteous hug on the court, and I cherish it. Taufik and I are not players in the same age group, plus he made his debut very early and won countless honors very early, so after the 2006 Doha Asian Games, his state is-no matter how much he takes So is the champion.Of course, I hope to have a good fight with him in the final of the competition, but after 2006, the occasions where we meet are more open competitions and grand prix competitions. I feel very lucky to have met him while growing up.Not everyone has the opportunity to have such a great opponent to motivate me and help me improve myself.One day in the future (maybe after I turn 30), when my competitive state is no longer as good as it was four or five years ago, there will be younger athletes who will challenge me.This also makes me cherish the opportunity to play against these masters even more. Such a game must be played once less.Most of the time, the fight between us has gone beyond the outcome itself. Instead, we enjoy the process of each ball even more. Let's think of it as leaving more memories for ourselves and the opponent in the future. On November 11, 2011, the "God's Stick Festival", as it was dubbed by netizens, represented four "ones" for us - Taufik, Lee Chong Wei, Gade and I were invited to Dongguan to participate. After fighting and fighting for more than ten years, it was the first time that the four of us got together in this way.The lottery drew me and Taufik together again. This is probably what fans, especially the local fans in Dongguan, hope to see most.I am also very happy.If our role is not limited to the field, but can bring many people a whole day of happiness and an unforgettable memory, we will be very satisfied. There are not many such opportunities. During the 2009 Swiss Open, under the arrangement of the sponsor, Taufik, Lee Chong Wei and I had a meal together.The location was chosen at a local Chinese restaurant, and the dishes were only passable, but everyone was very happy. The weight of the Swiss Open is not too heavy. We can chat together very easily. In that state, we really enjoy ourselves. There is no pressure, just eating and chatting.While chatting, I suddenly realized that 2004 has long passed, the 2008 Olympic Games has also been played, and another four years have passed, and everyone is still here.At that moment, there will be a feeling in my heart that "one confidant is enough in life". And in the chat, we found that badminton men's singles players all over the world have one thing in common, that is, they all like sports cars.When talking about the car, the three of them were very excited.When I went to Indonesia, I saw Taufik's Ferrari and I thought it would suit him well.And Li Zongwei and I drove the same G-TR, his was gray and mine was black.Taufik said that among badminton players, I should be the one who makes the most money.I told him that it is actually not easy to make money in China, unlike in Indonesia, where badminton is the national sport, and players are relatively free and more professional.It was also at that time that I told them: "You are welcome to come to China to play in the league in the future. You all have a lot of fans in China." Unexpectedly, they joined the Guangzhou Evergrande Club two years later. Although they only played two games, they caused a sensation in the city and even in China.They deserve such love. Of course, what I envy Taufik is that his fans are very loyal, including Malaysian fans to Lee Chong Wei.When we go to these places to compete, the home fans must be cheering for the host players.Relatively speaking, Chinese fans are more fraternal, and there are people who are on anyone's side.This is the treatment we cannot enjoy in Indonesia and Malaysia. This is naturally a good thing for badminton.As long as the fans are genuine, as long as I played a good game against the opponent, they can applaud anyone, not necessarily my fans. Now a father of two, Taufik is one step ahead of us.He has already paid back everything that badminton brought him, only a little more. After the age of 30, Taufik is still on the court, which is the luck of this era.I also told him that if he brings his family to visit China in the future, he must contact me and let me do my best as a landlord.If I go to Indonesia, I will not be polite to him.Over the past ten years, we have experienced too much, and we really don't need to care about winning or losing.After so many years of inevitable rivalry in our careers, can't we be friends for life?

---

Notes: