Chinese badminton players Wang Chang (left) and Liang Weikeng practice during a training session ahead of the BWF World Tour Finals at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium on December 16, 2025 in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: VCG

Chinese shuttlers finalized their pre-tournament preparations on Tuesday as the BWF World Tour Finals will kick off at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province on Wednesday.

The event, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation, admits only the top eight players or pairs in each discipline, with reigning world champions guaranteed entry, making it a true test of consistency and elite form over the season.

The Chinese team will field a formidable nine-player contingent, the largest of any nation, with representation in the men's singles, women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles, and just one men's doubles pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang carrying the flag in that discipline.

Among the Chinese contenders, Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng will line up in the men's singles alongside international stars.

"I went through quite a few injuries this year, and it took a long time to recover after the National Games, but I'm in good shape now," Shi told reporters after being named the BWF Men's Singles Player of the Year on Monday.

Both Shi and Li were drawn into Group B, meaning they will face each other as well as Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei and Japan's Kodai Naraoka.

"All my opponents are strong, so I'll prepare for each match one by one and focus first on getting qualified for the next round," said the 29-year-old Shi.

In the women's singles, Wang Zhiyi and Han Yue will shoulder China's challenge in a discipline dominated this year by South Korea's An Se-young, who was named the BWF Women's Singles Player of the Year.

Wang and Han will battle not only each other's rising form in the women's singles Group B, but also Thai players Pornpawee Chochuwong and Ratchanok Intanon.

In women's doubles, the pairing of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning headline alongside Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian, offering China strong chances deep into the competition.

"Our big goal is still to go as far as possible, but this time the challenge will be very tough. Our feel for international competition will inevitably drop a bit after an exhausting domestic season," Liu said after being award the Women's Doubles Player of the Year award.

"After two months of domestic competitions, we already knew that returning to international tournaments as a pair would be very difficult. Our main opponents are also in very good form, so for us the priority is to stay healthy and regain our rhythm in international matches. We're not putting overly high demands on ourselves."

The mixed doubles line-up features Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, and Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, both of whom have been among the world's most consistent pairings this season.

"Playing in Hangzhou means competing on home turf, and that atmosphere gives us more fighting spirit," Feng noted.