A 12 years old Chinese supporter wrote about his once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the Chinese team during the 2006 All England. It touches the heart of any badminton fans out there and makes us wonder if we can be 12 years old again...
and i am darn sure any badminton fan can really understand and feel his happiness from just reading his story...

Here is a story of a 12 years old Chinese fan, Baderz_Jas-->

I am a Chinese supporter-12yrs old,I speak Cantonese and know a tiny little bit of Mandarin. My sister,mum and I went to watch the 2006 All England Open Championship in the NIA. Friday 20th was our first day,quarter-finals day. I was very excited to watch Lin Dan ,Chen Jin and lots more as I haven't watched live badminton since 2005 AE. When ever any players from China were playing, I was shouting China and Lin Dan Jia You as loud as I could. Chen Jin didn't play very well,he was slower and his smashes weren't as powerful as people said it was. Lin Dan wasn't aggresive enough in the first game against Kenneth Jonassen which was 15-10,but then he smashed nearly every point and won the second game 15-3. Saturday 21st,semi-finals day. My family and I were walking to a hotel see my friend Dominic(the person who gave us the live scores) and we saw Lin Dan jogging on the streets to warm up for his match against Lee Chong Wei. So we went to him and took pictures and I asked him to sign a picture which I took with him last year,then for the first time I saw him smiling We got inside the hotel and saw players from most of the countries staying in that hotel. My sister,Dominic and I took pictures with Candra Wijaya,Pi Hongyan,Lee Hyun Il,Widiato Natsir,Peter Gade,Zhang Jun,Wei Yili,Zhang Yawen,Xie Xingfang +lots more When they started playing I was shouting for China and Lin Dan really loud again. When Lin Dan was losing in the third game against Lee Chong WeiI shouted even louder so I lost my voice When he won he took his black t-shirt off and went through to talk to the coaches about the match. So me and one of my friends sprinted as fast as I could into the authorised area even though we don't have a pass We went up to Lin Dan,he asked for a signatlure and asked I for his t-shirt,he just gave it to me!!! It was the shirt he actually wore,it was very wet which made it heavy. I was so happy that I couldn't go to bed until half-past two in the morning. I thought it couldn't get better,BUT IT DID!!! Sunday 22nd,finals day. That morning we saw Lin Dan jogging again as we were going to met up with my friend in Jury's Inn,this time he gave me a five When we got inside the arena the MD was just about to start a member of the China team came down and told us that one of the coaches has invited me to go and join them on the players' stand and that the coach has a son-13yrs old. When she left we thought 'what just happened' When the MD finished I went up the players' stand with the woman who came down and I sat between Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun!!! I found out that Li YongBo invited me I was shocked. The headcoach of the best badminton country wanted me to sit with him I chatted with some of the players and coaches,they were all very polite and looked after me as well. When they started the XD we were all cheering for Zhang Jun and Gao Ling. It was so nervous when we were watching them because Robertson/Emms had 8-10serves to win the match in the second game. In the third game Zhang/Gao totally trashed the English pair 15-1,Nathan Robetson's body language was absolutely awful After the XD we all went behind the stand and played games with our hands Then we didn't watch the WS because it was China vs China.After that match it was the MS between Lin Dan and Lee Hyun Il. We were cheering for him every point(especially me). When he slipped and twisted his knee we were very worried about him because he couln't move,but when he gave Li YongBo a wave meaning he's alrite we weren't as worried After he won we all went down to clap when he comes round doing the lap of honour. Li YongBo told me that Lin Dan is going to gave me the racket his used. I was shocked again! LYB was so kind and polite to all the players,he is really funny as well. Then he went to the Doping Room where the doctor had a look at his knee,so I went in with the chinese woman holding a bag of ice for Lin Dan. His knee didn't look nice. I could tell that he was in a lot of pain Then I got told to get out of the Doping Room because children aren't allowed in. Dominic and I had to wait for about ten minutes before he came out gaving me his racket and saying 'Thank You' to me,then I said 'Xie Xie' then Dominic took a picture of us with his racket in my hands That night we went to a chinese resturant called Tin Tin and saw the whole China team! I went over there and got Chen Hong,Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun to sign pictures I took with them last year. The players sat on two big tables,Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang were sitting with all the coaches on another table. Then when we were going home I went over to say bye and thank you to LYB,Lin Dan and all the players. They all said thank you and gave a fives! I can't believe all of this happened in just three days!!! My dream really has come TRUE."