USA: There’s a saying that goes “any publicity is good publicity,” and while I’m not so sure about that, I do noticed the way Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from USA played badminton has received more media coverage than Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan.
Bergdahl, the only US soldier detained in Afghanistan since war began in 2001, was released on Saturday in exchange for the freeing of five senior Taliban figures held at Guantanamo Bay, in a dramatic deal brokered by Qatar.
A Pakistani militant commander said on Sunday that Bergdahl played badminton with his captors, and developed a fondness for kawa, an Afghan green tea.
‘He would spend more time playing badminton or helping with cooking,’ the militant chief said.
‘He loved badminton and always played badminton with his handlers. In fact, he taught many fighters about the game,’ he added.