Source: REUTERS/Darren Staples
[Saba Sports News] “Inside” or “outside” is only a one-word difference, but it is related to the trend of badminton matches. At the just-concluded 2024 Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals, Chinese badminton national-level referee Zhang Huaimin became a representative selected by the Chinese Badminton Association to serve as the technical officer of the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup. In the semi-finals of the Chinese men’s team, Zhang Huaimin served as the line referee. During the competition, he was highly focused and successfully completed the officiating work with a high sense of responsibility and professionalism. He achieved zero mistakes in the “Eagle Eye” challenge and received unanimous praise from the event organizing committee and the chief referee team. After the game, Zhang Huaimin said that he checked the sports watch he was wearing and found that his average heart rate during the game reached 80 to 120 times, which shows how nervous he was. When he saw the Chinese team finally win, especially the moment when the five-star flag was raised, he felt that all the efforts were worth it. It is reported that Zhang Huaimin began to enforce badminton matches in 2010. Since then, he has continued to study and practice, and finally won the title of national badminton referee in 2018, and gradually grew into a mature and excellent professional referee. Some fans said that the successful conclusion of the Thomas and Uber Cup was inseparable from the hard work of ordinary people like Zhang Huaimin.