Driven by passion, outsider shuttler sets up new milestone for Guatemala

TOKYO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- There is never a lack of surprise at the Olympic Games and Tokyo 2020, having been postponed for one year, is no exception.

On the badminton court at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, no one ever expected that a world-ranked No.59 shuttler from Guatemala could make it all the way through to the semifinal. Four-time Olympian Kevin Cordon has erected a new milestone not only for himself, but for his country and for Latin America.

The 34-year-old has twice claimed the Pan American Games title, but his best record in Olympic history so far was getting to the round of 16 at London 2012. At Rio 2016, injury forced him to pull out of his first match.

However, Cordon never thought about giving up his dream on the Olympic stage and his diligence and perseverance has finally paid off.

"In Latin America, it's not easy to play badminton, for all these people, all these players," he said. "If you compare Guatemala with any country in Europe or Asia, it won't be the same, but this is our reality. Training in all these tournaments for us is very, very difficult."

But passion and love for badminton outweighed all these unimaginable hardships, sustaining him to stay true to his heart and keep running on the court.

He successfully booked a place in the semifinal on Saturday after unexpectedly brushing aside South Korea's 26-year-old Heo Kwang-hee in straight sets in only 42 minutes. Heo, ranked world No.38, had upset No.1 and home favorite Kento Momota in the group competition.

"I'm still a kid. I'm playing like a kid having fun and trying to do my best. Can you believe that I'm in a semifinal right now? Is this amazing?" Cordon beamed. "After so many years of professional badminton [training], this result is just amazing."

For the veteran shuttler, nothing is more important for him than relishing the pleasure of playing badminton.

"Right now, I'm not thinking about the medal or anything. If you think that you are so close to getting a medal, you get stressed and you cannot play with fun," he said after earning his place in the semi.

"When you train with your heart, when you train with patience, all these good things will come to your life," he said.

Cordon took up badminton at the age of 11 by chance. "In the beginning I also wanted to be a football player and then badminton just came into my life," he said.

He decided to specialize in badminton after believing it would open doors for him. One year later, Cordon left his parents in rural Guatemala behind at the age of 12 to seek better training opportunities.

"My parents didn't know anything about badminton, but they said, 'OK, if you want to be a badminton player and make your dream come true, go to the capital city'," he said.

"But my mother had the last word. She said, 'OK, then go, but be careful: no alcohol, no drugs'. After 20 years I think my family is happier than me," he added.

Although Cordon failed to progress to the final, losing to Viktor Axelsen in the semi, he has already written a brand new chapter for Guatemala to have become the first-ever Latin American badminton player to reach the top four at the Olympics.

"I play badminton and I try to win because I want it, because I like it, because I love it. It's not because I wanted to be a hero," Cordon said. "I play each game like it is the final."

Saying goodbye to Tokyo 2020, Cordon said he will not stop looking ahead. And his never-fading passion for badminton and pursuit of excellence has given us a vivid portrayal of the Olympic spirit.