PressSplit
Kai Schäfer and Isabel Lohau with their presents. © pv
(bf). With a standing ovation, the approximately 800 badminton fans in the Gerd Lohwasser Hall in Erlangen said goodbye to Kai Schäfer (Fun-Ball Dortelweil) and Isabel Lohau (BC Bischmisheim) on their “international retirement” and “international baby break” on Wednesday. Both had previously played their respective matches successfully and thus gained a point to make it 4:
1 victory for the German national team in the friendly match against the guests from the Czech Republic.
While Lohau won the mixed doubles in three sets alongside Jan Colin Völker, Schäfer won the men’s singles in two rounds. The other two points went to Julia Meyer/Leona Michalski (both TV Refrath) in the women’s doubles and Miranda Wilson (SG Schorndorf) in the women’s singles.
»I’m happy that I won the game because I wanted to show again today that it was always an honor for me to play in the national team. In general, I felt it was a privilege to be able to turn competitive sports – and thus, in a sense, my hobby into a career,” said the 31-year-old shepherd. The 32-year-old Lohau thanked everyone who accompanied her on her badminton journey and made her career possible.
Hannes Käsbauer, the head national coach in the German Badminton Association, thanked the outgoing duo on behalf of the DBV and presented a collage to commemorate their successes. Schäfer announced his retirement at international level at the end of May. Lohau announced in mid-September that she was expecting offspring.
