BADMINTON/102-year-old prepares to defend badminton title for 40th year

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) A 102-year-old Taiwanese man is preparing to defend his father-son title at the World Morning Cup Badminton Championships, an amateur badminton event to begin in Taipei Wednesday, for the 40th consecutive year.

Lin Yu-mao (林友茂), the current Guinness world record holder for oldest male badminton player, told CNA Tuesday that he will also take part in the grandparent-grandchild category for the sixth consecutive year

Lin said he played badminton every morning without fail before age 100, after which he played every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

He said he was always good at sports, with experience in basketball and tai chi.

Lin said he finally stuck to badminton in his fifties because of the cheers he got when he hit a good smash.

He said the Morning Cup "can enhance family relationships while happily exercising," expressing hopes that it will continue.

The championships broke the world record for the largest amateur badminton championships in 2016 with 4,318 people participating. This year, another world-record number of 4,753 people from 22 countries and regions have signed up for the games, according to organizers.

Other than regular match games such as men and women singles or men and women doubles, the event also holds family games including father and son or daughter, mother and son or daughter, husband and wife, and grandparent and grandchild combinations.

The 2024 championship organized by the Taiwan Senior Badminton Association is slated for Wednesday to Sunday at the Taipei Gymnasium.