France Secures Historic Badminton World Titles
France has achieved a significant milestone in badminton, securing its first-ever world championship titles in mixed doubles and men’s singles. The victories occurred in New Delhi, marking a historic moment for French badminton.
The mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, along with men’s singles player Alex Lanier, became world champions. This achievement doubles France’s medal tally at the BWF World Championships within a span of two hours, having previously collected only two medals over 29 editions.
Historic Victories
Gicquel and Delrue clinched the gold medal in mixed doubles. They defeated China‘s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in a final match that concluded with scores of 22-20, 19-21, 21-15, lasting one hour and 18 minutes.
Following this, Alex Lanier secured the men’s singles title. He overcame Japan‘s Kodai Naraoka with scores of 21-11, 21-11 in a decisive final match. These wins represent the first time a French player or pair has won a gold medal at the World Championships.
The mixed doubles victory also marks the first time a European pairing has won a mixed doubles gold in 17 years. Additionally, Lanier‘s win makes him the first non-Danish European to achieve a men’s singles gold. This is also the first instance since 1983 that European players have won two gold medals at the event.
Delphine Delrue expressed pride in their accomplishment, stating, “It’s an amazing moment for us. It was the goal, but to achieve it, it’s something else. So we feel really proud and really happy to be on top of the podium today.” Gicquel added that they were focused on winning every match, acknowledging the challenging path.
Development and Future Outlook
The success of French badminton is attributed to a structured development program. Children enter regional training centres between the ages of 11 and 14, progressing to national programs. This system is supported by over 2,000 clubs across France. The number of registered players has grown significantly, from approximately 3,000 in the 1970s to nearly 250,000 currently.
Local governments contribute to this growth by subsidizing clubs based on development ratings, which helps keep membership fees affordable and makes the sport accessible to a wider range of children and immigrant communities.
Former men’s World No. 1 Peter Gade, who served as France‘s national coach, highlighted a shift in mentality as crucial. He noted a move towards long-term thinking aimed at becoming a top badminton nation globally.
The depth of talent in France is evident, with five men among the world’s top 100, including Lanier and the Popov brothers, Christo and Toma Jr. Additionally, 11 French doubles pairs are ranked within the top 100 across three disciplines.
Gicquel and Delrue earned a bronze medal at the World Championships last year in Paris. They also reached the final of the All England Championships and the semifinals of the Indonesia and China Super 1000 tournaments earlier this year.
Delrue explained that she and Gicquel began playing together at the National Centre around the age of 17, a pairing encouraged by the federation to foster a long-term partnership.
The French team celebrated their historic double gold at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Priya Menon 