Two badminton veterans enjoyed 16 minutes of fame at the Japan Open on Wednesday when they made it to the main draw of the top-level tournament after a lifetime of trying.
50-year-old Chun Kar-lung, who was born in Hong Kong, and her partner Karen Feng Yun Qiao, 40, were booked to compete in the doubles tournament in Tokyo after several withdrawals.
The pair, who represent Great Britain, have never competed together and have spent their career duking it out in lower-level badminton competitions.
Chun has twice tried to qualify for the Hong Kong Open, in 2019 and 2024, but failed to enter the main draw each time.
He has won just five matches in his international career, with Feng’s only win coming in a walk.
They were no match for their opponents in the Japan Open championship, losing 21-2, 21-6 to the Danish European champions Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje in a quarter of an hour.
