China Open Badminton Championships Kick Off During Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on September 17th, marked the beginning of the China Open Badminton Championships at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center. The event drew a large crowd, with an attendance rate exceeding 90% on the first day. The national badminton team and fans spent the Mid-Autumn Festival together at the stadium, creating a lively atmosphere.

The mixed doubles pair Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi were the first Chinese pair to compete, defeating the Ukrainian pair Oleksiy/Kantemir 21-13, 21-11. Zhang Chi expressed her happiness at being the first to play on the Mid-Autumn Festival and felt the enthusiasm of the fans.

The men’s doubles runners-up Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, who competed in the Paris Olympics, also played their first match after the Olympics. The crowd cheered and shouted for them, with many fans in attendance. Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang felt the enthusiasm of the audience, which motivated them to reverse the game 22-20 when they were behind 18-20 in the first game.

Chinese women’s singles player Wang Zhiyi defeated the Danish player Mia 21-14, 21-12 on the same day. Wang Zhiyi was pleased with the large crowd and the atmosphere, saying, “Everyone came to watch the game during the holiday, and the atmosphere was very good.” The tournament organizing committee also prepared moon cakes for everyone, which Wang Zhiyi enjoyed.

Many fans, including Ms. Zhang from Nanjing, Jiangsu, Ms. Wang from Taizhou, and Ms. Guo from Huzhou, Zhejiang, traveled to Changzhou to watch the China Open Badminton Championships and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with the national badminton team. Ms. Guo, who met her fellow fans through online social software, said, “We are a group of people who met through online social software to watch the game together.” They were thrilled to watch the game in person and felt the excitement of the competition.

The fans were delighted with the experience, with Ms. Wang saying, “I felt that I was interacting with the players, and my heart was beating with every ball of the Chinese players.” After the game, they bought souvenirs around the game, making the Mid-Autumn Festival a memorable one.