Opinion | Should Lin Dan call time on his sparkling career now and avoid potential embarrassment at a fifth Olympics?

It seems so to many in the badminton community, although the one-time top player in the world has his vowed to play on.

Earlier this week in Birmingham, the 35-year-old, who once ruled the world of badminton after clinching an unprecedented two Olympic singles championships, suffered a first-round exit at the All England when he was eliminated by Kenta Tsunami of Japan. The Japanese number three prevailed after three games for a 19-21, 21-14, 21-7 win following an hour-long clash.

This early exit, unfortunately, was not a one-off for Lin.

Judging from his performances over the past 12 months, Lin should put aside his target of booking a fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year which, at this point, looks like a bridge too far. And time is not on his side any more.

It was indeed surprising when Lin said, after his defeat at the 2018 Hong Kong Open in November – also in the first round – that he would be looking to make a fifth Olympic appearance since his debut at Athens in 2004, the same year he surged to prominence after defeating Peter Gade of Denmark in winning the first of six All England Open titles.