Victor Lai
Canadian badminton player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Victor Lai (born 19 December 2004) is a Canadian badminton player. At the 2025 BWF World Championships, he became the first ever player from Canada to win a medal, securing a bronze in the men's singles event and marking a major milestone for Canadian badminton.[3][4]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 19 December 2004 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Badminton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Handedness | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Men's singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 115 wins, 58 losses | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 13 (10 March 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | 13 (10 March 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BWF profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career
At the 2025 BWF World Championships, Victor Lai made history by winning the bronze medal in men’s singles, becoming the first Canadian ever to medal at the event. His run included a comeback quarterfinal victory over former world champion Loh Kean Yew before narrowly losing in the semifinals to world No. 1 Shi Yuqi.
At the Super 750 India Open in 2026, Lai reached the semifinals of the men’s singles event. He defeated Chi Yu-jen in the quarterfinals in three games, 21–18, 17–21, 21–15, to advance to the final four. His run ended in the semifinals against Lin Chun-yi, who later won the tournament. The result marked Lai’s first semifinal appearance at a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament.
In his Super 1000 All England Open Debut in March 2026, Lai once again reached the semi-finals in the historical tournament, becoming the first Canadian to reach such a milestone since women's singles player Wendy Carter achieved an All England semi-finalist in 1978.[5]
Achievements
BWF World Championships Results
Men's singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Adidas Arena, Paris, France |  Shi Yuqi |
21–13, 20–22, 16–21 |  Bronze |
[4] |
Pan Am Championships Results
Men's singles
Junior Pan American Games Results
Boys' singles
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | SND Stadium, Asunción, Paraguay |  Rachel Chan |
 Davi Silva Juliana Viana Vieira |
21–23, 21–14, 19–21 |  Silver |
Pan Am Junior Championships Results
Boys' singles
| Year | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hotel Mundo Imperial, Acapulco, Mexico | Joshua Nguyen |
13–21, 13–21 | Silver |
BWF World Tour (1 runner-up)
The BWF World Tour, which was announced on 19 March 2017 and implemented in 2018,[6] is a series of elite badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The BWF World Tour is divided into levels of World Tour Finals, Super 1000, Super 750, Super 500, Super 300, and the BWF Tour Super 100.[7]
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Level | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Canada Open | Super 300 |  Kenta Nishimoto |
13–21, 14–21 |  Runner-up |
[8][9] |
BWF International Challenge/Series (1 title, 3 runners-up)
Men's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Guatemala International |  Kevin Cordón |
13–21, 11–21 | Runner-up |
[10] |
| 2023 | Canadian International | Brian Yang |
15–21, 12–21 | Runner-up |
[11] |
| 2024 | Canadian International | Brian Yang |
14–21, 8–21 | Runner-up |
[12] |
| 2025 | Canadian International | Brian Yang |
21–14, 21–15 |  Winner |
- BWF International Challenge tournament
- BWF International Series tournament
BWF Junior International (3 titles)
Boys' singles
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Guatemala Junior International | Sophia Nong |
Antonio Ortiz Ana González |
21–18, 21–15 | Winner |
[13] |
- BWF Junior International Series tournament
- BWF Junior Future Series tournament