A badminton star who only recently left her home national team just proved she can still pack a room in China. Chiharu Shida made her first public appearance on the mainland since stepping away from Japan’s setup, and the fans who filled B1 of the Shenzhen Sports Center did not leave empty handed.
Shida’s Signature Racket Vanishes From Shelves
The signing ran a full afternoon at the Li-Ning Badminton and Padel flagship store, and by closing time every unit of Chiharu Shida’s signature racket, the Bladex 880 SHIDA, was gone from the shelves. Related merchandise carried price tags between 399 and 1999 RMB, giving fans several ways to walk away with something of hers.
Store staff said fans born in the 1990s and 2000s made up more than 85 percent of the crowd, a sign of how fast her following has grown since she left Japan’s national team setup. For a first solo appearance in the market, a full sellout of her signature racket line is a strong opening statement.
A Fresh Start After A Sudden Split
Shida’s path to Shenzhen started in July, when she and her doubles partner announced they were parting ways and withdrew from Japan’s national team together. She rebuilt her training routine from scratch and stayed off social media until mid August, when she began posting updates again.
Her last tour appearance with her former partner came in May 2026, when the pair fell in the semifinals of a BWF World Tour event, and no new pairing had been confirmed by the time of the Shenzhen signing.
Shida is expected to name her new women’s doubles partner sometime in the fourth quarter of 2026, then return to the BWF World Tour as an independent athlete starting in October. Her quick turn to commercial work in China, so soon after leaving the national team, suggests she already knows where her next chapter is heading even before her new partner is confirmed.
