Kodai Naraoka

Japanese badminton player Kodai Naraoka is a member of the FWD Group. He was raised in Aomori and, under the tutelage of his father, began playing badminton at age 5. In 2023, he took home the silver medal from the World Championships. After taking home a bronze in 2017, Naraoka went on to win a silver medal at the 2018 World Junior Championships. At the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he competed on behalf of his nation and took home bronze in the boys' singles and mixed team events.

Early Life and Struggle

On June 30, 2001, in the Japanese city of Aomori, Kodai Naraoka was born. He began playing badminton at the age of five; thus, he was almost born with a racket in his hand. The youthful Kodai Naraoka honed his abilities under his father's tutelage, participating in numerous interschool competitions. Upon learning the game of badminton from his father, Hiroshi, at the age of five, Kodai Naraoka's favorite activity was tossing the shuttlecock against the wall in their Aomori home.

At the age of 13, he physically made a breakthrough by smashing a hole in the wall after years of pounding. The world's fourteenth-ranked player, who is now twenty-one, is prepared to overcome any obstacle in his career. Naraoka debuted internationally at the 2014 Singapore Youth International, marking his thirteenth birthday. In the boys' singles and doubles competitions, he prevailed in the majority of his encounters.

He took home his first junior medal at the 2015 Badminton Asia Junior Championships. In the finals of the boys' singles competition, he easily defeated a youthful Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Encompassing the top eight players from each of the five events, he is the only male Japanese badminton player to make it to the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals.

2018 was arguably the most prosperous year for the young Naraoka in his career. Notwithstanding his youth, Kodai Naraoka participated in the 2018 Osaka International Challenge. There, he advanced to the finals and took second place in the men's singles category. A few months later, Naraoka won bronze in the boys' singles competition, earning him a spot in the 2018 Youth Olympics. After competing in the 2018 World Junior Championships, he won silver a few weeks later as well. The track record of Naraoka is evident. He earned three final appearances, one win, and four semi-final appearances on the BWF World Tour in 2022.

Naraoka's 2019's Breakthrough

Kodai is unique because of his extraordinary skill on the court. He can return rallies from nearly unfathomable angles with incredible ease. When used with accuracy, his near-net-tip approach confuses opponents. In addition, his incredible stamina and capacity for long rallies are astounding. With so much yet to achieve, Kodai Naraoka, the budding badminton star from Aomori Prefecture, has only just begun his adventure. With his amazing shots and persistent dedication on the court, he never fails to delight fans all over the world, win or lose.

Following the World Junior Championships in 2018, Kodai Naraoka debuted as a senior. Making his debut, he easily advanced to the finals of the 2018 K&D Graphics International Challenge. He was defeated in three games by his countryman, Koki Watanabe, in the championship match. Even after the defeat, Naraoka left with silver.

Desiring his first senior title, he began his 2019 title pursuit at the 2019 Laos International, where he put on an incredible display. He proceeded to the tournament's finals, where he faced his fellow countryman Minoru Koga. Naraoka emerged victorious in straight sets, earning his first senior championship! He won another International Series at the Jamaica International shortly after winning the Laos International title. In the final, Naraoka defeated Kevin Cordon of Guatemala to continue his dominance in the men's singles competition at the 2019 Jamaica International.

Kodai Naraoka earned his third title in the International Series in June 2019. In the final, he defeated Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand to win the 2019 Mongolia International. Kodai Naraoka won the 2019 Dubai International in October, which led to yet another International Series victory. Kodai Naraoka won the International Series once more, capping off a fantastic rookie campaign. 2019 saw Naraoka capture his fifth International Series victory, capturing the K&D Graphics International Challenge.

The life of Kodai Naraoka serves as a reminder that excellence is achievable if one has passion, tenacity, and a dedication to honing one's trade. He is an inspiration to everyone who wants to overcome obstacles and excel in their chosen career, not only budding badminton players. The most fascinating parts of his incredible adventure are still to come as we see him flourish.

Naraoka in World Tour

The remarkable story of Kodai Naraoka's transformation from a little child holding a badminton racket to a rising prodigy in the sport is one of commitment, tenacity, and unwavering devotion. He is the only male player from Japan who has advanced to the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals, which are contested by the top eight finishers from each of the five competitions.

The track record of Naraoka is evident. He earned three final appearances, one win, and four semi-final appearances on the BWF World Tour in 2022. He is paired with the top-ranked player in the world, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, Indian player H. S. Prannoy (ranked No. 12), and Chinese player Lu Guangzu (ranked No. 17) this week at Bangkok's Nimibutr Arena. Loh Kean Yew of Singapore is ranked No. 3, Chou Tien-Chen of Chinese Taipei is ranked No. 4, Jonatan Christie of Indonesia is ranked No. 5, and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia is ranked No. 7.

In 2022, Kodai Naraoka achieved his first podium result on the World Tour. In the Gwangju Korea Masters of 2022, he came in second place. In the 2022 Singapore Open, he not only won another silver medal but also narrowly defeated Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in the championship match.

"I'm very happy, particularly regarding how I performed during the latter part of the year, considering that I worked extremely hard for this," Naraoka said to the interviewers through a translator. "Although there are a lot of skilled players here, my goal is to prevail. Comparing myself to more seasoned players like Momota is an honor, but I have my own style, and he has his. To begin with, he is right-handed, in contrast to Momota." But both have incredibly potent defenses.

In his early career, Naraoka's three-game matchup with Taiwanese sensation Chou Tien Chen is arguably one of the most remembered matches. Kodai Naraoka and Chou Tien Chen squared off in a contest that went the whole way in the 2022 Taipei Open finals. The crowd was taken aback by Naraoka's ability to perform near-impossible strokes and rally despite the Taiwanese superstar winning the match. It was still Naraoka's first World Tour victory after the Taipei Open. At the 2022 Vietnam Open in September, he got his opportunity. He advanced to the semi-finals once more, where Sun Fei Xiang of China was waiting for him.

Hiroshi revealed that his son's skills are more a result of training than genetics. In an attempt to spend more time with his father, whose work was serving as a school coach, Naraoka took up the sport. Upon witnessing his son win the Most Promising Player title on Monday night at the BWF Awards gala dinner, Hiroshi recalled telling him, "At the badminton club, I'm not a parent; I'm a coach, so I can't be nice to you."

"Nevertheless, he would still show up, so initially, I merely let him swing. I was shocked that Kodai could swing for three thousand consecutive swings at first since he was slow as his racket missed the shuttle. We both learned and grew up together, of course, and I was there as his father to help him in various ways." Naraoka has become a formidable force. He won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, making history as the first player to win the national junior high school championship three times in a row.

However, he has his sights set on a greater reward. "My journey included the Youth Olympics, and my goals are to first qualify for Paris 2024 and then win an Olympic medal," he declared. There has never been a Japanese gold medallist in men's singles badminton at the Olympics. Such barriers, meanwhile, are designed to be broken, much like the walls in Naraoka's childhood house.

The life of Kodai Naraoka serves as a reminder that excellence is achievable if one has passion, tenacity, and a dedication to honing one's trade. He is an inspiration to everyone who wants to overcome obstacles and excel in their chosen career, not only budding badminton players. The most fascinating parts of his incredible adventure are still to come as we see him flourish.

Playing Style of Naraoka

Kodai Naraoka has a remarkable talent at returning rallies, even when they come from impossible angles. Suppose you enjoy lengthy rallies a lot. You would adore the play style of Kodai Naraoka. He focuses only on defense and protracted rallies. Kodai Naraoka has lightning-fast reflexes. However, when badminton enthusiasts hear the word "fast," they typically think of Loh Kean Yew from Singapore and Anthony Ginting from Indonesia. The explanation is that Kodai defends by using his speed. He probably only uses his extraordinary speed three times during a game to attack by using it to intercept the shuttle.

In response to Kodai Naraoka's opponent's attempt to quicken the game by playing the attacking clear, also referred to as the punch clear, which is a flatter clear that prompts the opponent to move quickly to the backcourt, Kodai Naraoka loves to play the defensive clear, which can be either crosscourt or straight-line. The Kodai defensive clear is so long and high that the shuttle typically lands just in front of the second rear boundary line or the third line. Kodai's defensive clear has such a high trajectory that the shuttle drops out of the sky. The opponent finds it extremely difficult to execute a risky leap smash whenever the shuttle plunges directly toward the third line.

Now and again, Kodai's opponent is skilled enough to spot some opportunities to land a leap smash amid a rally. Even when the smash is directed towards the sidelines, Kodai can confidently return the shuttle because he is so skilled at the half dive, both forehand and backhand. Kodai Naraoka possesses incredible stamina, which is necessary for him to play lengthy rallies in every game.

Observing Kodai Naraoka compete against China's Shi Yu Qi is fascinating. Shi Yu Qi is extremely athletic and skilled. His lack of endurance might be his worst flaw. In most cases, a match between Kodai Naraoka and Shi Yu Qi is split 50/50. In half the cases, Kodai prevails. Shi Yu Qi prevails 50% of the time. However, Shi Yu Qi nearly never wins again after winning the previous round. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, Kodai essentially exhausts his opponent. Usually, the person who defeats Naraoka is out of energy for the following round.

"Be sure to keep the shuttle going" is Kodai Naraoka's philosophy, which he firmly adheres to. Kodai Naraoka possesses incredible stamina, which is necessary for him to play lengthy rallies in every game. Observing Kodai Naraoka compete against China's Shi Yu Qi is fascinating. Shi Yu Qi is extremely athletic and skilled. His lack of endurance might be his worst flaw.

In most cases, a match between Kodai Naraoka and Shi Yu Qi is split 50/50. In half the cases, Kodai prevails. Shi Yu Qi prevails 50% of the time. However, Shi Yu Qi nearly never wins again after winning the previous round. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, Kodai essentially exhausts his opponent. Usually, the person who defeats Naraoka is out of energy for the following round.

Things To Learn From Kodai

Kodai Naraoka is more of a less offensive version of the new Kento Momota. Kodai Naraoka lacks offensive prowess, but one day, he could compensate by strengthening his defense and endurance even further. Long rallies are works of art. This particular game style is undeniably beautiful.

Observing Kodai Naraoka play badminton can undoubtedly impart some knowledge to those who are either hobbyists or amateur players.

First, get proficient in the defensive clear. You can basically reset the rally with a strong defensive clear if you're not up against a professional player. In certain situations, you could take the initiative against a marginally weaker opponent.

Furthermore, realize that if you keep the shuttle in the air, you can win. You cannot lose if you allow the shuttle to land on the other side of the court. Defensive clears or other neutral shots are, therefore, good options when you aren't in a strong position to emerge as a winner. You'll discover that if you wait for your competitor to commit mistakes first, you can earn a lot of points.

Third, work on your endurance. While asking recreational and amateur badminton players to increase their pace isn't always feasible, it is possible to practice for increased stamina. Take occasional lengthy walks in place of everyday jogging if you lack the time. It is easy to find opportunities in your life to take long walks. If it's necessary to take the bus to work every day, for instance, get off one or two stops early and walk for fifteen to thirty minutes. Gaining more endurance might make you a more proficient badminton player.