Ao Fei Long: Keeping Pushing Himself
Ao Fei Long, an 18-year old Macao badminton athlete, has already taken part in a lot of competitions. There's much room for improvement in Ao's badminton techniques, except for his “attack” technique, which he's relatively good at. With that in mind, Ao keeps pushing himself in the everyday training and does what he can to plug up the holes in his skills. He wants to represent Macao at more international events and seeks to break new grounds in his badminton career.
When he was seven, Ao, together with his friends, signed up for a children's badminton course organized by the Badminton Federation of Macau and has since then become keenly interested in the sport. The burning desire for improvement and winning is what keeps Ao on the training ground. He joined the Badminton Federation for professional instructions when he was ten and later became part of the Macao badminton team as he wished.
During the eight years on the Macao team, Ao represented Macao at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships, the Badminton World Junior Championships, the Macao Open and the China National Youth Games. Being able to go against athletes from different countries and territories at various high-profile events improves Ao's badminton techniques. The elimination round of the 2017 Macao Open is the most unforgettable experience for Ao.“In the preliminary heat, I pulled off my first win at international events,” Ao recalled, “ then in the elimination round the rival I ran into was not really much tougher . I stood a chance in the first place, but ended up being defeated because I failed to handle some points well. That was a bittersweet experience.”
What Ao loves most about badminton is that as simple as it may seem, badminton is a comprehensive and highly demanding sport that requires both good physical strength and exquisite techniques. As a highly competitive athlete, Ao believes that it is the fighting spirit in the court that sets professionals apart from amateurs. The desire for victory is what pulls him through all those tedious trainings and keeps pushing him forward.
