Canada’s Victor Lai made history last week by reaching the semifinals of the BWF World Championships. The 20-year-old from Ontario not only defeated top names, including former World Champion Loh Kean Yew, but also pushed current world number one Shi Yu Qi to three exciting games in the semifinals before winning a historic bronze medal – Canada’s first ever medal at the event.
Behind Lai’s breakthrough lies a story of training in Europe. The young Pan Am player, already a Pan American champion and Canada Open runner-up, chose the RSL BEC High Performance Centre in Holbæk, Denmark, as part of his journey to the World Championships.
Finding the right set-up
“I first went there on a scholarship with Badminton Pan Am,” Lai explains. “They invited me there back in March 2024 for two weeks. I think the atmosphere is really nice there. When there's players from all different countries, they adapt and cooperate to help each other. Dennis is a very good coach. He accommodates each player's weaknesses. Between Asian styles, Pan Am styles, and Europe styles, he really adjusts to what you need. That was a good training block in March.”
Earlier this summer, Lai returned to Holbæk, just a week before the World Championships. “One of the main reasons was to get used to the European time zone,” he says. “Dennis did a really good job of adjusting and giving me good quality sparring. I think that really helped for this week.”
The coach’s perspective
Dennis Christensen, Head Coach of the RSL BEC High Performance Centre, has seen Lai’s commitment firsthand.
“Victor has a great approach to practice and see badminton. He loves the sport and enjoys the different elements in the game. You will see him work hard, but he’ll also be the first one to smile if something fun happens. He keeps challenging himself and is not afraid to fail. As a coach, it is amazing to be a part of it,” Christensen says.
“When he joined the High Performance Centre in preparation for the World Championships, it was about getting in the right mindset. To get some good intensity in the training and play some games. It's always the balance of not getting tired but pushing the pace up. He is humble and will go out of his way to help someone. I am sure we are going to see much more of him in the future.”
World-class facilities
For Lai, the Holbæk-based centre offers an all-round setup that makes top-level training possible. “The facilities are probably one of the best. You live like 200 metres away from the hall. You have a really nice gym. You have access to the sauna, a pool, a hot tub. There are also courts open for you whenever you’d like to train on the weekends, too,” he says.
For Lai, the RSL BEC High Performance Centre remains an important stop whenever he’s in Europe. “If I'm ever in Europe and I need a place to train or stay, that's been on my mind.”
If you are interested in knowing your possibilities with training at the RSL BEC High Performance Centre, please reach out to BEC Development Senior Officer Jonathan Søgaard: [email protected] or RSL BEC High Performance Centre Head Coach Dennis Christensen: [email protected].
