High-Performance

Birmingham, UK (March 11) - A historic week for Canadian badminton unfolded at the 2026 All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, England, where Canada delivered one of its strongest performances ever at the prestigious tournament. Widely regarded as badminton’s equivalent of Wimbledon, the All England Championships saw Canada play strong matches before ultimately celebrating its first medal at the event in nearly 50 years. 

Canada started strong early in the opening round. Veteran Olympian Michelle Li set the tone with a statement victory over World No. 10 Gao Fangjie. Li (CHN) dominated the first game 21–10 and then held her nerve in a tightly contested second game, saving set point before closing it out 23–21 to secure the match in straight games. 

Li’s run would end in the Round of 16, where she faced World No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA). In a closely contested match, Chochuwong prevailed 21–16, 24–22, ending Li’s campaign. 

Rising Canadian men’s singles player Victor Lai delivered one of the tournament’s first major upsets, defeating World No. 8 Alex Lanier (FRA) in an 87-minute battle. Lai took the opening game 21–12 before Lanier forced a decider, but the Canadian stayed composed in the closing moments to win 23–21 in the third. 

Lai continued to build momentum as the week progressed. In the Round of 16 and quarterfinal stages, he defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu (HK) in straight games, 21–12, 21–18, advancing deeper into the tournament and setting up another dramatic tournament. 

In the quarterfinals, Lai produced one of the most memorable performances of the week, battling back from a game down to defeat Koki Watanabe (JPN) 18–21, 21–17, 21–15. The comeback victory secured his place in the semifinals and marked a historic milestone for Canadian badminton — the first time in nearly five decades that a Canadian had reached the semifinals at the All England Championships, and the first Canadian man in the modern era to reach the Men’s Singles final four. 

Lai’s remarkable run eventually came to an end in the semifinals against World No. 12 Lakshya Sen (IND). The two players battled for 97 minutes in one of the longest and most intense matches of the tournament before Sen prevailed 21–16, 18–21, 21–15. Despite the loss, Lai secured the bronze medal — Canada’s first ever medal at the All England Championships. 

“Victor’s run this week reaffirms what Canadian athletes are capable of on the world stage,” said National Team Head Coach, Mike Butler. “To reach the semifinals and bring home Canada’s first All England medal in in Men’s Singles is a remarkable achievement. It’s a great moment for Victor, Canadian badminton, and certainly an exciting sign of what’s ahead.” 

The last time a Canadian made it to the semi-finals at the All England was women’s singles player Wendy Carter achieved an All England semi‑finalist in 1978. Ms. Carter was not awarded a bronze medal for her appearance, as the tournament did not offer medals at the time. The All England traditionally did not award bronze medals to semi-finalists. 

 

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For more information or media inquiries please contact: 

Bryan R. Merrett 

Executive Director 

613-518-1501, X2083 

bmerrett@badminton.ca 

  

About Badminton Canada 

With shuttles reaching speeds as high as 565 kph, badminton attracts more than 220 million people worldwide to play the sport weekly, making badminton the second most participated-in sport in the world. Badminton Canada works to grow the game across the country through events, coaching and officials’ development, and developing programs such as Shuttletime. In Canada, over 2 million people picked up a badminton racquet and played our sport. Some play at the cottage, some in the backyard, at school, the local community centre or as part of an organized Badminton Canada competition. Badminton is easily accessible – for any Canadian – at any age – for life!