A buddy of mine who trained in Germany at the IBF camp there told me about this Korean guy he met who told him that you have to be a big drinker to be world champion... only half joking. Anyone know of any WC's who were or are big drinkers?
It sounds as if we might be missing all kinds of context, here. In Korea, there are countless situations where group socializing necessarily involves copious amounts of soju or the like. Whether that extends to group socializing among elite badminton players in general or the national team in particular, I wouldn't know. I've always been amazed at how similar the alcohol and tobacco consumption habits among recreational athletes in Korea are to those of the general populace. Guys who can kick my butt in doubles or in 24km mountain races lighting up before and after - it blows my mind. I've always assumed that it must be different in the case of current national team athletes but I really don't know.
