Sign in

Badminton gold medal winner Viktor Axelsen exchanges shirt with opponent. How the tradition started

Tokyo Olympics 2020: The official Twitter handle of Olympics shared the image of Viktor Axelsen exchanging his shirt with his opponent.

Published on: Aug 4, 2021, 11:39:30 IST
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

After almost 12 months of delay due to the ongoing pandemic, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 is underway. There are several moments from the sporting event which have made their ways online and left people amazed. This incident between Badminton gold medal winner Viktor Axelsen and his opponent Chen Long is one such moment. An image of the moment shows them exchanging their jerseys after the game.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: The image shows Olympic champion Viktor Axelse of Denmark with his opponent Chen Long of China. (Twitter/@Olympics)
Tokyo Olympics 2020: The image shows Olympic champion Viktor Axelse of Denmark with his opponent Chen Long of China. (Twitter/@Olympics)

The official Twitter handle of Olympics shared the image. In a follow up tweet, they also shared how this beautiful tradition came into existence.

“During the men’s singles badminton final last night, Olympic champion @ViktorAxelsen of Denmark traded shirts with silver medallist Chen Long of China as a symbol of respect to his opponent,” they wrote while sharing the image.

While talking about how the tradition started, they shared, “Take a look at the beginning of the tradition between legendary Malaysian Badminton player Lee Chong Wei, and double Olympic champion from China, Lin Dan. This post is complete with a video showcasing the incident.

Take a look at the posts:

People shared various appreciative comments while reacting to the posts.

“This is the real Olympics spirit, they are competitors, but they respect each other. I am touched,” wrote a Twitter user. “Legend,” shared another. “Congratulations Viktor. Amazing game. Thank Chen, our Chinese athlete. Hope you both to keep going on. You both are the best badminton athletes. From a Chinese fan,” expressed a third.

What are your thoughts on the incident?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More