Hawks legend Adam Dong presented the King Charles III Coronation Medal

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

When Adam Dong walked into the Lieutenant Governor's Suite in Toronto on Aug. 26, he was not wearing a Team Canada jersey or gripping his badminton racket. Instead, dressed in a formal suit, the Humber Hawks legend received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

In April, Dong received a letter announcing the award. At first, he admits, he did not know what it meant.

"I had to look it up," Dong said. "But when I realized, I felt very honoured and very happy to share the news with my family."

Dong was awarded the Coronation Medal for his contributions to Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympics and for his excellence and resilience on the international stage. For him, the recognition is a responsibility to do better and is a motivation to pass his knowledge on to the next generation. Dong said he wants more Canadian players to reach the international stage and make badminton bigger in this country.

His journey began in Suzhou, China, where he started playing badminton at the age of six, inspired by hometown Olympic champion Zhang Jun's gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. By the age of 12, he was training full-time on a professional team.

In 2014, at the age of 20, he made a life-changing decision to pursue his post-secondary education, following the wishes of his mother and grandmother, both of whom were teachers. He moved to Canada to study at Humber Polytechnic.

The transition was not easy. Along with adapting to life in a new culture, Dong spoke little English when he arrived.

He credits Humber for being the "bridge" that helped him learn and adjust to the new country.

"I did learn a lot of things by myself and also overcame the cultural difference and the language barrier," Dong said. "I appreciate Humber and Humber Athletics, because they helped me a lot."

On the court, Dong's Hawks career was defined by dominance. He became a two-time CCAA doubles national champion, a CCAA mixed national champion, a two-time OCAA doubles champion and an OCAA mixed champion. He was undefeated in CCAA and OCAA play and named an OCAA All-Star three times.

Few players in Hawks history have matched his success.

While Dong is proud to have helped Humber win championships, he said the friendships and experiences he gained are just as valuable.

After graduating in 2017, Dong stepped away from competition to open the Lions Badminton Training Centre in Burlington. The club welcomes players from juniors to adults, including recreational players and those chasing high performance.

"It depends on your goal," Dong explained. "We see what your goal is and put you into the right group."

But the fire to compete in the Olympics never left him.

"I think the Olympics have always been in my heart. Back then, I didn't play much, but I still had that fire, and I always enjoyed competing," Dong said. "Deep in my heart, I still wanted to play, so I think that was the main drive."

Dong returned to the international stage alongside Nyl Yakura. Together, the duo won bronze at the 2022 Pan American Games, gold in 2023 and silver in 2024, before representing Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They also appeared in the Commonwealth Games in 2022 

Many words capture Dong's career: dominance, titles, and accolades. However, through every step, the word 'family' has had the strongest meaning.

"My whole family supported me and made my dream come true," Dong said. "I could just fully commit to my training and didn't need to worry about everything else."

Today, Dong has decided to step away from competition once again to focus on Lions Badminton and on growing the sport in Canada. He recalls that in 2017, badminton was little known in Burlington, but with years of promotion and coaching, the community has put the sport on the map. He wants to build the next generation of badminton players.

Playing the sport for more than 25 years, badminton is central to his life.

"I think badminton is just in my blood," Dong said, smiling. "I can't imagine my life without badminton, everything in my life is related [to the sport]. My friends in China and here, my career, badminton is just everywhere around me."

And while his primary focus is now on his business, Dong might not be ready to hang up the racket entirely just yet.

"I will still compete, maybe locally. I still enjoy playing badminton, and I want to have fun sometimes," Dong said.

And no matter where badminton continues to take him, Humber will always remain part of his story.

"I am very grateful to Humber for helping me learn. Humber Athletics has a big role in my life, especially when I had just arrived in Canada."