Polii on Rivalry & Friendship with Chang Ye Na
Indonesia’s Greysia Polii and Korea’s Chang Ye Na are thick friends off court, but on it the rivalry is fierce, with neither player willing to concede an inch.
· DEV SUKUMAR
Today, in the quarterfinals of the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2020, Polii and her partner Apriyani Rahayu kept up the intensity all through their 56-minute battle against Chang Ye Na and Kim Hye Rin, beating the Koreans for the first time in three matches, 21-19 21-19.
“We compete against each other, we fight each other on court, even though she is dear to my heart and vice-versa, we fight until the end. I don’t want to give her any point, and she won’t give me any point,” said Polii, reflecting on her friendship with Chang.
Relationships across nations are still relatively uncommon in badminton, although in recent times the old barriers have been breaking.