TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Guinness World Records has certified 98-year-old Taiwanese Lin You-mao (林友茂) as the world’s oldest badminton player.
Lin, born Aug. 15, 1922, has been a fixture in Taiwan’s badminton circles for many years. He and his son once won 38 consecutive father-son division titles at the World Morning Cup Badminton Championships, CNA reported.
Even the nonagenarian’s grandson has participated in the Morning Cup badminton competition since studying at junior high school, as a result of his grandfather’s influence.
Former Taiwan Senior Badminton Association Chairman Wu Chun-yen (吳俊彥) said that after he learned that a 97-year-old Canadian man had become the oldest Guinness certified badminton player in the world, he hoped to see Lin obtain a record that he deserved and at the same become a walking advertisement for sports.
The Guinness World Records title holder’s grandson, Lin Yu-kai (林昱凱), said that his grandfather is lighthearted and likes to make jokes. He revealed that his grandfather's secret to longevity is “watching beautiful women often.”
The young Lin said that his grandfather first learned taijiquan in his younger days but wanted a more active form of exercise. Under his grandfather’s influence, he and his father began to learn badminton, per CNA.
The young Lin said the “naughty old child” is a befitting nickname for his grandfather as the nonagenarian often uses Line, goes abroad on his own, and even went for surgery by himself before notifying the family.