Li Li hopes to see daughter win Olympic medal

As a young national player trying to save money, Li Li would commute to and from her Aljunied rental flat to her Singapore Badminton Hall (SBH) training sessions at Guillemard Road on a bicycle.

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After winning the 2001 Singapore International women's singles title, she treated herself by hailing a taxi home - but regretted it. With a hearty chuckle, she told The Sunday Times: "When I returned to the hall the next day, my bicycle was gone and I was so upset!"

Now 42, Li has plenty of stories to regale about the venue as it officially re-opened as the KFF Badminton Arena on Sept 6 before about 200 guests, including other former national players such as Kendrick Lee and Derek Wong, and current stars like Loh Kean Yew.

Singapore National Olympic Council president Grace Fu was the guest of honour for the opening of the facility, which comprises nine courts in a 1,300-seater hall and three air-conditioned courts with corporate boxes.

Li, who misses curry fish head, chilli crab and frog leg porridge, still remembers the uncle who sells sugar cane juice at the Old Airport Road Food Centre.

She feels inextricably linked with the SBH, for it was where she lived for a month when she arrived in Singapore in 1997.

The Wuhan-born Li had flown in with Xiao Luxi, Rong Muxi and Liu Fan, as the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) imported the teenagers, who were top-ranked players from their respective provinces, to be considered for naturalisation.