Roger Baldwin says, "I find it very relaxing, and it keeps me very fit".
An 82-year-old man said he was "pleased" after he won his first gold medal in badminton at the Senior World Championships.
Roger Baldwin, from Colchester, first fell in love with the sport when he was 17, but it took him another 65 years to be crowned Men's Singles Over 80 winner at the Badminton World Federation Senior Championship held in Thailand.
He beat Malaysia's Kim Swee Leong 21-15 in the final match.
Speaking to BBC Essex, he said: "I was pleased if I got a medal, my first thought was semi-finals so I could qualify for a bronze medal and take it from there."
The tournament was held in Pattaya, Thailand, between 7 to 14 September, and Mr Baldwin was one of two English winners after Caroline Hale won the Women's Singles over 55 category.
Mr Baldwin was praised for his calm demeanour because when he won the game, he said he just walked over to his opponent and shook his hand.
"I've won gold medals in doubles in the European championships and lots of silver medals.
"This is my first singles gold medal in the world federation badminton."
Badminton has always been hugely popular in Eastern countries such as Japan, China, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Mr Baldwin said: "Badminton is their top sport out in the far East.
"We played Japanese, Indonesia... India produces a lot of good players now."
But he said he only started taking the sport seriously at 17 when he joined the RAF. From there, he joined a club before going to county level.
He said he quit the sport to focus on his family before falling back in love with it in later life.
But the world champion said: "I find it very relaxing, and it keeps me very fit."
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
- Man, 84, achieves swim medal dream after 70 years
- The 91-year-old farmer with a passion for Suffolk Punches
- 'My husband is 83 and has run every London Marathon - but I can't stop him'
Category: General Sports
