Shuttler moved by opponent's kindness

Welton Menezes receives a pair of new shoes from Tan Qiang. [Photo/Xinhua]

One of the Chinese words that Brazilian badminton player Welton Menezes has picked up during the Chengdu FISU World University Games is Tan — the family name of Tan Qiang, a Chinese opponent.

"What was his name again? I really want to memorize it," the 22-year-old asked volunteers and reporters on the sidelines of a match last week.

It was not only Tan's badminton skills on the court that impressed Menezes, but also the gesture of goodwill Tan made by giving him a brand-new pair of shoes.

On July 30, Tan beat Menezes with ease in a men's doubles match during the mixed team event. But the image of Menezes' worn-out shoes stuck with the Chinese shuttler.

"My first reaction was that even though his shoes were so old, he came all the way from Brazil to play badminton here. I was touched by his love for the sport," Tan said.

Tan asked for Menezes's shoe size immediately after the match and switched a pair of his own new shoes with his Chinese teammate to get the right fit for Menezes.

"I wanted to give him a present, and hopefully, he could feel the kindness and hospitality from Chinese people. In the meantime, I guess we can all learn from his spirit," he said.

Menezes, who majors in physical training at Paulista University in Sao Paulo, said that gesture of kindness meant a lot to him.

"My shoes were fine when I first arrived in Chengdu, but for whatever reason, the sole fell off during the match," he said.

"I am very grateful for Tan's help. It's a great pair of shoes and I love it. After I go back to Brazil, I will also wear the shoes for training. I believe it will help boost my professional career."

Menezes was born in Niteroi, a city of about 550,000 people in the state of Rio de Janeiro. After a deadly mudslide in the city in 2010, a few local badminton coaches launched a social welfare project that first introduced Menezes to the shuttlecock when he was 9 years old.

He went on to compete in his first badminton match, and he later won a medal.

"The journey started from there," he said. "Now I am participating in the Chengdu games as a student-athlete. The whole experience is simply unbelievable."

Menezes also expressed his strong gratitude for his first badminton coach.

"He is the reason I fell in love with such a spectacular sport," he said.

When asked about his badminton idols, Menezes named China's Lin Dan and Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, as well as Ygor Coelho, the first Brazilian badminton player to compete in the Olympics.

Coelho's journey from a favela to an elite badminton court has motivated him to persevere and aim higher, Menezes said.

"I know I am not on the national team yet, I just train at the university club. But do I have an Olympic dream? For sure," he said.