Victor Lai aims to scale new heights for Canadian badminton after historic world c’ship medal

SINGAPORE – Hailing from Canada, where ice hockey, winter sports, baseball and basketball take centre stage, badminton player Victor Lai had to toil without much financial or fan support.

A world championship men’s singles bronze in 2025 changed all that.

Starting the year ranked 101st and entering the tournament at 50th, his historic feat helped him climb to 35th.

Semi-final finishes at the India Open and All England Open in 2026 further propelled him to a career-high 12th, taking the earnings in his fledgling career to US$57,510 (S$73,000).

Lai, who faces Denmark’s world No. 3 Anders Antonsen in the KFF Singapore Badminton Open second round on May 28, also secured sponsors such as sports equipment company Yonex as his Instagram following swelled to over 33,000.

In a sign that the 21-year-old has reached star status, fans have even asked for his underwear.

Lai laughed as he told The Straits Times: “It felt like overnight, there was so much attention and support from everyone.

“I was really a nobody, and after the world championships, there were all the love and support from fans around the world. I also had people from Canada, whom I haven’t seen in a long time since I was young, message me.

“I get recognised in big Asian areas in Toronto. Sometimes it can be a bit awkward but usually the fans are very polite. They ask for a photo and I always say yes.

“But I’m just trying to stay humble and not keep dwelling on the world championships because life has to move on and there is still a long career ahead of me.”

Lai was born to Hong Kong parents who moved to Canada when their four children were still studying. Lai, the eldest sibling, picked up badminton at age eight because his father wanted to steer him away from the computer and signed him up for different sports.

While he dislikes swimming and enjoys golf which he still plays today, he found himself drawn to the racket and shuttlecock. He would often be at the Mandarin Badminton Club in Ontario till late, sparring with others or even playing against the wall by himself.

Trying to incorporate the strengths of his idols Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei into his game, Lai won a few Badminton World Federation (BWF) junior international titles as a teenager.

His breakthrough year came in 2025 when he won his first Pan Am Championship and Canadian International on top of his world championship bronze.

World No. 30 Brian Yang said his compatriot’s biggest strength is consistency and defence, adding: “It’s so hard to kill him. His shot quality makes it hard to get a good position to attack him in general, and his net play is good as well.

“Maybe the only thing he’s lacking a bit is that finishing shot. But he does have good variation in his attack as well.”

Singapore’s 14th-ranked Loh Kean Yew experienced Lai’s strong defence in their 2025 world championship quarter-final, which also featured a controversial moment.

In the second game, the Canadian won a point despite tumbling into the Singaporean’s half of the court, as the umpire insisted it wasn’t a fault.

Sharing that he had spoken to Loh on the bus back to the hotel after the match, he said: “He posted something on Instagram and kindly told me it wasn’t directed at me, so it was really nice of him to let me know it was nothing personal.

“I don’t know the rule, to be honest, but I told the umpire I went under the net and he said I didn’t interfere with play. The umpire said it wasn’t a fault, but I feel like it should have been. 

“If someone’s on my side, I’m going to get distracted too, right? Definitely, it was a tough moment, especially in a big game and with a close score.”

Regardless, Lai continued his fine form into 2026, retaining his Pan Am Championship gold and making deep runs in big tournaments during his first full season on the BWF World Tour.

With an annual budget from Badminton Canada and coaching support from Mandarin Badminton Club, he plans his own tournament schedule.

It has not been easy, though, as the kinesiology major at York University juggles his studies with sport.

Lai said: “At first, I was thinking, ‘How do these guys do this for years and years?’

“It’s pretty tiring on the body, and mentally too, adjusting to the court, the weather, the food, hotel, for each different tournament. That’s something I need to learn.”

Despite the challenges as he chases his first title on the BWF World Tour, his world championship exploits have given him the belief that he can further improve to become a world champion, Olympic gold medallist or world No. 1.

Hailing Yang and former women’s singles world No. 8 Michelle Li as Canadian badminton’s trailblazers, Lai has a bigger-picture goal.

He said: “Badminton is getting bigger in Canada, and more people are playing especially in Toronto, where there’s a lot of Asians. We are showing people from Canada that we can compete against the top in the world, and hopefully inspiring more kids to start playing the sport.”