(Correspondents: Dong Yingchu and Wang Yibin) In order to improve XDU students’ physical fitness and badminton skills, enrich their extracurricular life, promote friendship among students and select and train players of the school team, “XDU Cup” Badminton Singles Challenge was held successfully this month which was organized by the PE Working Committee of Xidian University (XDU), and co-organized by Badminton Club of Department of Physical Education and Feiyang Badminton Association.
The Challenge was composed of three links with duration from October 20 to November 20, including first and second rounds of initial selection and official competition. Chen Hongbo, Supervisor from Feiyang Badminton Association and Department of Physical Education served as Chief Referee while members of Feiyang Badminton Association as referees. The competition was held in the form of individual events for men’s group and women’s group. After ten-day initial selection in two rounds, 64 men and 32 women stood out from nearly four hundred applicants and were qualified for official competition.
The official competition was held on November 20 when a brief opening ceremony was held before the competition. Chen Hongbo from Department of Physical Education announced the beginning of the official competition upon an oath taken by athletes and referees, and began the competition with a kick-off.
(Yu Bai Qiaoke, a student from Feiyang Badminton Association, was presiding over the opening ceremony)
(Referee Representative Feng Zhehao was taking an oath)
(Athlete Representative Rong Ziyi was taking an oath)
(Teacher Chen Hongbo was announcing the beginning of the competition)
(Group photo on the opening ceremony)
At the group stage in the morning, men athletes were divided into eight groups while women athletes into four groups, and each seeded player in each group competed with each other for group knockout stage. Top eight men players and top four women players presented wonderful performance in qualifying in the afternoon, and the champion, runner-up and second runner-up were finally determined. The top eight men players were champion Rong Ziyi, runner-up Yong Xinwei, second runner-up Zhang Jiahao, Gu Zhuoya in the fourth place, Zhang Chenghuai in the fifth place, Xu Jinghao in the sixth place, Li Yang in the seventh place and Wang Yibin in the eight place. The top four women players were champion Zeng Xiaowei, runner-up Liang Ziqian, second runner-up Bi Zheng and Xie Dongni in the fourth place. Feiyang Badminton Association also invited the school team members and top four men and women players to attend a friendly match where both sides demonstrated their great enthusiasm and relatively high competitive level as reflected by multiple rounds.
After the competition, Badminton Club and Feiyang Badminton Association held a brief award ceremony where certificates and prizes were awarded to top eight men and top four women players, excellent athletes and excellent referees.
Many excellent athletes emerged in this competition. We witnessed how Liang Ziqian was entrusted with an important mission in a critical moment and succeeded in playing in the finals and how Rong Ziyi with stable invincible performance became the champion without suspense. We saw that Li Yang defeated a capable upperclassman by virtue of his perseverance and physical strength and that Yong Xin was so strong and vigorous that he played the wining ball after changing from the defensive to the offensive…Athletes’ excellent performance impressed everyone greatly. In addition, their badminton skills were trained and improved, and their wonderful performance allowed more students to appreciate the charm of badminton sports and more enthusiastic about playing badminton than ever before, facilitating the promotion and popularization of badminton sports among students.
(Students who were watching the challenge carefully)
(Wonderful smash by a player)
(Group photo of top four women players)
(Group photo of top eight men players)
