Lin Dan is now on Instagram!
Hmm…based on what we know of his persona (only his family and intimate friends would know his inner self), I believe he’s more likely to be overconfident than underconfident.
My guess is that he is making plans for the next chapter in his life post-retirement from his badminton career. I remember, if my memory serves me right, that he once expressed a personal wish to set up a professional badminton league, run differently from the existing CBSL (China Badminton Super League), one that not only involves all the current active players but also the retired inactive players, including the who’s who of badminton, both those comprising his contemporaries and, perhaps, the past greats of the older generations.
If true, I really hope it comes to fruition as I’m sure he still has no interest to become a badminton coach, for as we can recall he had in the past rejected Li Yongbo’s repeated attempts to rope him in as a national coach. Personally, I also doubt he will consider coaching any foreign nation as, firstly, I don’t think he would want to leave or relocate his family, esp when his boy is already in kindergarten, and, secondly, CBA is very unlikely to let him go as he is too valuable a national asset.
In case you’ve forgotten, Lin Dan and his wife, Xie Xingfang, had in July last year set up a badminton club in Shenzhen, Bao’an district. So, opening an Instagram account, in addition to his Weibo, a Chinese social media platform and microblog website, is to facilitate his interaction with and to reach out to his legions of fans and keeping them updated on his latest activities, developments, ideas, career interests and plans.
As for setting up a professional badminton league, the first and most important thing is to get big sponsors both locally and internationally, not a far-fetched proposition for him in my opinion, for he, more than anybody else in the badminton world, is best placed to do so solely based on who he is as the quintessential badminton icon, The GOAT, no less.
And in case you worry about his ability to run a business unlike his playing days, he and his wife, who is also an MBA holder and will certainly help him out, have together not only set up a Shenzhen Badminton Club in July 2020, the couple have gained business experience since 2014, either jointly or singly, having started a number of business ventures before, such as (jointly) “Hollys Coffee” cafe in collaboration with a Korean coffee brand, men’s underwear brand “Intimate by Lin Dan” (singly by LD), “Doreen Baby” products (singly by XXF) in partnership with another company with Lin Dan as the chief creative officer of the brand.
Let’s also not forget his multi-million USD 10-year contract with Yonex lasting until/through 2025 (estimated to be worth 100 million RMB) , as such I should think he can afford, without having to worry about his livelihood, to plunge into a badminton-related venture for which he might very well sign up Yonex as a major sponsor. Just saying.
