JINCHENG, CHINA — Malaysia’s independent shuttler Cheam June Wei has etched his name into the history books by becoming the first-ever men’s singles player to win three titles at the prestigious Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open.
The world No. 79 made a remarkable comeback in the final match against China’s Wu Kai An, overcoming an early deficit to secure victory 2–1 (11–15, 15–13, 15–9) and lift the men’s singles trophy in dramatic fashion.
This historic win adds to his previous Lin Dan Cup victories in Shenzhen (June 2023) and Macau (September 2023)—earning him a total of RMB 700,000 (approximately RM 408,000) across all three championships.
🔥 From Underdog to Triple Champion
Cheam, who had already made headlines by winning back-to-back titles last year, showed nerves of steel despite dropping the first game. Adjusting his pace and playing with renewed composure, he rallied strongly in the next two sets to complete the turnaround.
In the semifinals, Cheam had defeated fellow two-time champion Zhou Zeqi (China) with a dominant 31–19 scoreline. Another Malaysian, Aidil, was stopped in the semifinals by Wu Kai An, falling 17–31.
🏆 Team Malaysia Triumphs in Mixed Team Finals
It wasn’t just Cheam flying the Malaysian flag high. In the mixed team event final, Malaysia’s Shenmu Yuyue squad fought back from a match down to beat Team Greater China (Hong Kong) 2–1 and capture the team gold.
Led by the “Shinyu” men’s doubles pair Wang Yao Xin and Zhang Yu Yu, followed by mixed doubles stars Chia Wei Jie and Lai Pei Jing, the team clinched a dramatic win to seal the championship. Wen Xin Yuan was also among the standout Malaysian players contributing to the squad’s success.
📌 About the Lin Dan Cup
The Lin Dan Cup Badminton Open, launched in 2020 and named after the two-time Olympic and Grand Slam champion Lin Dan, has quickly gained prominence as a platform for both emerging and elite talent. Lin Dan, now retired, remains active in promoting the sport globally through this competition.
This year’s tournament drew over 900 athletes from 11 countries and regions, competing across three categories: Men’s Singles, Mixed Team, and Junior Events.
A total of 64 players participated in the Men’s Singles, which began with round-robin group stages followed by a 32-player knockout bracket leading to the championship.
