Badminton world championship

Chen Yu Fei: Chen Yu Fei has won Olympic gold and established herself among the world’s elite, but one prize continues to elude her. Yet as the Chinese star returns to the World Championships in pursuit of that elusive gold, she believes the biggest challenge is not an opponent; it is herself.

“The biggest obstacle is myself. If I can conquer myself, then everything will be fine,” Chen told reporters on the sidelines of the BWF World Championships here at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.

Chen came agonisingly close to the world title last year, reaching the final in Paris before losing to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. She was also stopped by Yamaguchi in the China Open final, while her 2026 season has seen her reach the finals of the Thailand Open and Malaysia Masters and the semi-finals of the Singapore and Indonesia Opens.