BWF World Championships: Why Do Japanese Players Bring Their Chefs Along & What Do They Eat?

The BWF World Championships is a prestigious annual badminton tournament. The most recent 30th edition took place in New Delhi. But what surprised us was that Japanese players often have their own chefs travelling with them to prepare home-cooked food, so they do not miss out on nutrition while playing the game. Keep reading to know what the players eat before their matches. 

Japanese Players Eat Home-Cooked Food At BWF World Championships

The BWF World Championships 2026 was held from August 17 to August 23 at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi. The key winners of the competition were France’s Alex Lanier and South Korea’s An Se-young. Japan also played exceptionally well overall. Kodai Naraoka and Akane Yamaguchi won silver medals in the singles categories, which definitely made their nation proud.

But you would be surprised to know that even though they travel to different countries for matches, they always stick to home-cooked food. But how? According to The Indian Express, the Japanese team travels with its own chefs, a tradition that goes back to 2017. According to them, home-cooked food not only contributes to their success but also helps them in recovery. Plus, it makes them feel great to have Japanese food around them.

Also Read: Harsh Goenka Impressed By Japan’s ‘Human Fridge’; Here’s How These Refrigerators Work

Why Do Japanese Players Eat At Tournaments?

The initiative was started by Ajinomoto, a multinational food brand. Yuki Ueno, Associate Director of the Nutrition Group at Ajinomoto, shared with The Indian Express that many Japanese players had often complained about the lack of nutrients and a homely feeling in the food served to them in other countries.

This is why the Japanese federation requested the food brand to come up with a solution. Since then, a team of five, including three chefs and two directors, has accompanied the players for all major events. The team travels with luggage filled with spices, food mixtures, seasonings and ready-made food for the players. The Ajinomoto team travels months before the actual match to find spaces and set up their kitchens.

They also coordinate with local vendors to get packaging items, utensils and other things they may require to cook food. Once the Japanese team arrives in the city, the team of chefs starts preparing food for them every day. They pack it in lunch boxes and carry it to the stadium.

Surprisingly, the lunch box usually has just four items and is not at all fancy. It mostly includes Japanese white rice, a main dish, a side dish and miso soup. A sweet dish is also sometimes added, but the chefs make sure that it is not high in calories.

Also Read: Exclusive: “You Haven’t Seen Kriti’s Diet,” Nupur Sanon Reveals Sister’s Shocking Eating Habits

Japanese people are really consistent about their diet, and this proves that.

Cover Image Courtesy: Kodai Naraoka/ Instagram and Canva Pro/TrueCreatives