Mexican Badminton Duo Claims Gold in Peru

I’m not the sort of person who generally spends my Sunday afternoons watching badminton. It’s not exactly the most gripping sport. No petrol-fueled mayhem, no thundering roars from the crowd, and no screeching tyres. In fact, badminton is played in near silence, where the most drama comes from the odd feathered projectile swooshing from one end of the court to the other. But I’ve found myself thoroughly captivated by a story from Lima, Peru, where, of all things, Mexico’s badminton team decided to steal the show.

Now, if I were to say Mexico, you'd probably think of tequila, tacos, maybe even a nice mariachi band, but badminton? Well, that’s like suggesting that Eskimos have an unrivaled talent for beach volleyball. Yet, here we are, talking about a gold medal in the Peru International Series 2024 for mixed doubles. It’s an absurd yet brilliant turn of events.

The Magnificent Montoya and Marvelous Miriam

In the mixed doubles final, Luis Armando Montoya and Miriam Rodríguez stepped up against the Brazilians Fabricio Farías and Jaqueline Lima. At first glance, I can imagine these two countries engaging in a battle for football dominance or even a heated beach volleyball tournament – but instead, we’re talking about people with rackets and a floating feathered shuttlecock. It’s like watching Formula 1 drivers argue over who has the best moped. And yet, here we were, on the edge of our seats, watching Montoya and Rodríguez give the Brazilians a masterclass in precision and endurance.

The match went down to the wire, but the Mexican pair emerged victorious with a score of 2-1 (21-15, 17-21, and 21-18). It was one of those games where you think, “Surely, this shuttlecock thing is a piece of cake.” Then you see how fast they’re moving and the angles they’re hitting, and suddenly, you’re grateful you stuck to more sensible pastimes like wrestling with your car’s handbrake.

And what a journey it was. Before the final, Montoya and Rodríguez faced off against the home team duo of José Guevara and Inés Castillo. You’d think the hometown advantage would count for something, but it didn’t. The Mexicans made light work of the Peruvians with a brisk 21-15 and 21-11 victory, as if they were just warming up for the main event.

Then, of course, there was the quarterfinal where they faced yet another Brazilian team: Izak Batalha and Jeisiane Alves. Once again, the Mexicans ran through their opponents as if they were training dummies, with another emphatic 21-13 and 21-11 win. It wasn’t even close. I mean, the whole thing felt like Montoya and Rodríguez were competing against people who were just happy to get a free trip to Lima.

Not to be outdone, let’s talk about Vanessa García, who won herself a bronze medal in the women's singles category. When you’re a kid, you’re always told that bronze is still a medal, that it’s still a win. But let’s be honest here, it’s not the gold, is it? No one remembers who came third, do they? But I’ll give García her due. She played her heart out, even if the Canadian Chloe Hoang dashed her dreams of a golden finish.

Hoang dispatched García 2-0 (21-15, 21-17), which, if you know anything about badminton, means that while Vanessa was close, she just couldn’t get over the finish line. Still, she walks away with a shiny bronze medal and the knowledge that Juliana Vieira, the Brazilian champion, didn’t completely embarrass her. It’s the small victories, after all.

Meanwhile, on the Men’s Side...

But what about the men’s singles competition? Surely Montoya, fresh off his mixed doubles triumph, could mount a serious challenge. Well, the less said about that, the better. Luis Montoya made it to the semi-finals, where he met Misha Zilberman, an Israeli player who apparently specializes in dashing Mexican hopes. Montoya, after his semi-final loss, probably sat there wishing he could grab a beer and celebrate his mixed doubles win instead.

Armando Gaitán fared even worse, with his journey ending in the quarter-finals, courtesy of a certain Guatemalan named Kevin Cordon. Now, I’m sure these players are lovely people, but who comes up with these names? It sounds more like a cast list from a bad 90s soap opera than an international sporting event.

But let’s be honest: for a country not particularly known for its badminton prowess, the Mexican team’s performance was nothing short of a triumph. A gold in the mixed doubles, a bronze in the women’s singles, and a respectable showing in the men’s events. Not bad for a weekend’s work in Lima, Peru, of all places.

In the end, while badminton might never take over Mexico’s love of football, these players have shown that you don’t need to be part of a sporting superpower to win. All you need is a bit of grit, determination, and perhaps the ability to hit a shuttlecock in ways that make your opponents question their life choices. And frankly, if you can win at badminton, you can win at anything. Just don't expect it to be as thrilling as a V8 roaring down a racetrack.