Great results in the Para World Championships, with a total of 25 medals going to different European nations.
The world of badminton in Europe has a lot to celebrate after the semifinals and finals at the HULIC DAIHATSU BWF Para Badminton World Championships 2022. Many of the best European Para badminton players claimed medals in the biannual event, including some wins to remember.
Ukraine’s first world champion
Just like many other players from all around the world, Oksana Kozyna travelled to Tokyo to win the gold, and that is just what she did — the road to the podium was not so easy, of course, but the Ukrainian player fought in every single match to write history for her country.
She faced Türkiye’s Halime Yildiz in the final and after losing the first game in what was a close battle, 20-22, Kozyna then went to claim the title by taking the match to three games and winning the decider.
“I will celebrate tonight. I will call my parents and my friends. I win for them”, said Kozyna after the emotional and historic win.
Wandschneider, the oldest world champion
Germany’s Rick Cornell Hellmann/ Thomas Wandschneider won the gold in the WH1-WH2 men’s doubles with a win in straight games against Malaysia’s Noor Azwan Noorlan/ Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli in straight games, 21-11 21-15.
This win is yet another historic one in this big tournament, not only being the fifth time that Wandschneider becomes world champion, but also making him the oldest badminton and para badminton world champion — and just one day before his 59th birthday.
“Tomorrow I’ll be 59 years old and I’m a world champion. It’s crazy. I’m now the oldest world champion in badminton of all time. It is a record. I want to now become the first German and the oldest Para badminton medallist at the Paralympics,” Wandschneider said to BWF right after his win.