India, April 15 -- The 2016 Rio Games witnessed a hegemonic shift in men's badminton. The Riocentro was packed, ready to witness the legendary Lin Dan, arguably the greatest ever shuttler, claim a third successive Olympic medal. Having lost the semis to his long-time nemesis Lee Chong Wei, the Chinese superstar was vying for bronze.

But unexpectedly, the result went in favour of a lanky 22-year-old Viktor Axelsen at the other end, who silenced the arena, vociferously cheering for the five-time world champion. It was a passing of the baton, a changing of the guard as the youngster went on to dominate the sport for the next decade before surprising everyone by announcing his retirement on Wednesday.

"Today is not an easy day for me. Due t...