On April 8, Japanese badminton player Chihiro Shida, who is participating in the 2025 Asian Badminton Championships in Ningbo, expressed her fear of being stalked and harassed during competitions in China. She took to her Instagram account to address her fans in Chinese, urging them to stop such behavior.
“Thank you for your continuous support. However, I would like to ask all my fans here to stop the stalking incidents that have been happening during our competitions in China for a year and a half. Recently, I have been feeling very uncomfortable and scared. I know not all fans behave this way, and I do appreciate China. Thank you to all the fans who support me. From now on, please stop stalking or similar behaviors immediately. If this situation continues, I will have to take measures. Lastly, please focus on the game on the court, not our private lives. Thank you once again,” Chihiro Shida wrote in her post.
Chihiro Shida, 27 years old, was born in Hachirogata-cho, Akita Prefecture, Japan, and is a female badminton player. In June 2016, she and Yuki Fukushima won the Vietnam International Challenge final 2-0 against their teammates Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto, earning her first championship title in an international adult competition.
In 2017, Chihiro Shida formed a regular partnership with Nami Matsuyama. In May of the same year, Matsuyama/Nami won their first international professional tournament at the Lao Fish Badminton International Challenge by defeating Chiho Hoshino/Naoru Shinoya 2-0 in the final.
On November 21, 2021, at the Indonesia Masters during the BWF World Tour, Matsuyama/Nami defeated a Korean duo to claim the women’s doubles title. They also secured the women’s doubles championship at the 2023 China Badminton Masters and the 2023 Canada Open.
On August 3, 2024, Matsuyama/Nami won the bronze medal in women’s doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. On December 30, 2024, they clinched their first All Japan Championship in women’s doubles.