YORKTON - At the close of January Canadian badminton player Brian Yang won a silver medal for Canada in the Indonesia Master's 2024.
The medal was an historic one -- a first in Canadian history in any Super 500 for Men's Singles.
Yang said it is still sinking in what he accomplished.
“I saw somewhere it was the first non-Asian, non-European medal at the Super 500 level,” said Yang in an interview with Yorkton This Week. “It’s pretty big.”
It was an event where Yang was in the groove throughout, including topping World #3 Li Shi Feng of China, and having a win in the round of 32, over Priyanshu Rajawat of India.
The Canadian also won a match against Lee Zii Jia in the Quarterfinals, the Malaysian player who retired in the Quarterfinals
In the semi-finals, Yang won against hometown favourite Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in a match that went three sets;13-21, 21-17, and 21-19.
Finally in the finals Yang won the first game against Denmark's Anders Antonsen but then fell in the following two games.
So what was the difference in Indonesia for Yang?
“Going into the tournament I didn’t feel that much different,” he said. “Things just sort of lined up for me.”
Yang admitted his results going into the event had been less than stellar.
“The last year, or so there’s been no really good results,” he said.
In Indonesia the win over China’s Li Shi Feng certainly helped.
Yang admitted besting such a highly ranked player was huge in terms of putting him in a good mindset the rest of the tournament.
“I ended up winning that really close one in three games. It gave me lot of confidence,” he said. “. . . If I could beat him I felt I could beat a lot of the other players too.”
Yang said at the top level little things matter, and that includes having the confidence where a single lost point, or bad shot doesn’t effect the rest of a match and having that win over Li Shi Feng gave him that.
Certainly, in the world of Canadian badminton the win has had a big effect.
“I’m getting so many messages . . . Even non-badminton players. It’s just great the effect it’s had on people back home,” he said.
Yang said he hopes his medal inspires other badminton players, adding he recognizes the sport in his home country “isn’t the strongest” so anything that raises the profile of badminton is a good thing.
In Yang’s case he found badminton early.
“I started when I was eight-years-old,” he said, adding once he had the racquet in his hand he knew badminton was for him.
“It feels like home for me . . . I knew it was going to be the sport, and I still do today.”
As for Yang’s own career he hopes the silver medal is foundational to more success.
“Hopefully there’s more to come,” he said, adding that means focusing on being at the Olympics this summer.
“That’s the biggest thing.”
