Rashid tips French stars for Olympic badminton gold in LA

KUALA LUMPUR: Former world No. 1 Datuk Rashid Sidek believes France's emerging badminton stars could dismantle the global order to claim their first Olympic gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Rashid said the "French Revolution" led by Christo Popov, Toma Junior Popov and Alex Lanier has transformed France into a European powerhouse now ready to dominate the world stage.

"Christo proved that the French shuttlers have high quality by winning the World Tour Finals (WTF) recently.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he, Lanier, or even Toma goes on to win the 2028 Olympics gold," Rashid told Timesport today (Dec 25).

Christo, 23, stunned the field in Hangzhou to clinch the WTF men's singles title on Dec 21. On his way to victory, the world No. 7 defeated four of the world's top five players — Shi Yu Qi (world No. 1), Kunlavut Vitidsarn (No. 2) and Anders Antonsen (No. 3) and Jonatan Christie (No. 4).

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Lanier made history last year as the first Frenchman to win a Super 750 title at the Japan Open.

He further cemented his status this year by becoming the youngest player to win the European Championships.

Rashid said the rise of the Popov brothers is rooted in the guidance of their father and coach, Toma Popov Senior, a former Bulgarian international who moved to France in 2003.

"It always helps when the father is the coach as the player-coach trust is strong. The Popov teamwork has lasted for more than 10 years," said Rashid, a former Olympic bronze medallist.

"Toma Senior started coaching early, which gives him additional knowledge. He is also open to tips from Asian coaches to evolve his training programmes."

Rashid added that the independence and mental strength of European players give them an edge over many top nations, with the exception of Indonesia, which continues to produce prospects like Alwi Farhan and Zaki Ubaidillah.

While former world champion Kunlavut remains a formidable threat for 2028, Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, Leong Jun Hao, and Justin Hoh currently lack the consistency to halt the French momentum.

Toma Junior, 27, reached the last-16 at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but the younger Christo or the peaking Lanier are tipped to be the strongest bets for the podium in Los Angeles.