Source:REUTERS/IVAN
ALVARADO
[Saba
Sports News] The 2024 Indian Open concluded last week, and Japan’s top player,
Kodai Naraoka, was defeated by Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in the semifinals,
missing out on the final. Following the match, Naraoka Kodai sat down for an
interview with the media, expressing his disappointment at being eliminated. He
also shared a story from his childhood training. It turns out that Naraoka
Kodai’s father is a badminton coach. When Naraoka Kodai was just 5 years old,
his father was occupied with coaching other students, leaving little time for
him. This made young Naraoka Kodai feel envious. In response, he decided to
join badminton training and set his sights on becoming an outstanding badminton
player. Initially, his father believed that he couldn’t effectively coach his
son, so he challenged Naraoka Kodai with a difficult task: to practice swinging
the racket three thousand times a day. His father thought that Naraoka Kodai
would give up quickly, but to his surprise, Naraoka Kodai thoroughly enjoyed
it. You see, it takes perseverance to persist in practicing such repetitive
basic movements, but Naraoka Kodai diligently practiced swinging for four
consecutive months. During his home practice sessions, he even accidentally punched
a hole in the wall with the shuttlecock. Initially, he tried to find something
to cover it up, but he ended up making a second hole. Naraoka Kodai’s
dedication impressed his father, who began paying more attention to his son’s
badminton training. Through unwavering efforts, Kodai Naraoka eventually
claimed victory at the All Japan Youth Badminton Championship in 2016, becoming
the youngest badminton champion in Japan.