Name: Lino Muñoz
City / Country: Mexico DF, Mexico.
Birth Date: 08/02/1991
Specialty: Singles and doubles.
- At what age did you start in Badminton and how did you get into this sport?
“When I was 4 I started playing baseball until I turned 8, my parents told me to try other sports, so I started swimming, then Judo and Taekwondo until I got to try badminton and I loved it, the next day I bought a racket and I have not stopped since”.
- In how many tournaments did you participate and which was your best result?
“A lot really, just last year to qualify for the Olympic Games, I participated in 26 tournaments. I have lost count, but I have participated in more than 80 tournaments. My best results were to have reached the semifinals of the Challenge of Brazil and Peru in doubles and singles, the finals of the Puerto Rico Open, Suriname Open and Chile Open. And of course, go to the Olympics”.
- How does it feel to have represented your country in the Olympic Games of Rio 2016?
“A dream come true, is the best goal of my life, from small I was delighted to see the opening ceremony, the parade of delegations and see the competitions. For me it was the best thing in the world”.
- To how many countries has badminton taken you?
“I don’t remember all the countries exactly, but I have been in every continent except Africa. I have been in a few countries more than 4 times, just for competitions”.
- What anecdotes come to your mind when you remember your trips?
“Once I went to New York to play the US Open, I was not staying at the Host Hotel, I was staying in a different hotel. I told a friend from USA where was located the hotel and he told me that it was not far, so we started to walk…. It was on summer and there was a terrible heat. We kept walking and we started to sweat and I was already desperate because in the afternoon I had to play. We kept walking on the road and I told my friend to stop someone to give us a ride, and we were so lucky that someone working for the championships organization saw us and took us to the hotel”.
- Which are your short and medium term objectives as a badminton player?
“To finish my university career, I lost a lot of time traveling and playing. I hope to go abroad to train more and be better to be able to win a gold medal in the Pan American Games and go to the Olympic Games”.
- What are you studying at the university?
“I study business administration”.
- How sacrificed is it to train and study at the same time?
“It is very difficult to study and train at the same time … It is difficult because sometimes you have to stop training to be able to give some exam or work, or stop studying to travel and play in some championships”.
- How do you keep the commitment and discipline in your life?
“Actually, keeping many values, be respectful, honest, humble and empathetic. You learn that you do not always can win and you do not always lose and you have to learn from mistakes”.
- In addition to sporting satisfactions, which other things did badminton give you?
“Much more than travels and medals, it gave me opportunities to know other cultures and learn from them. Most important, friends around the world and I know that I can count on them in any circumstances”.
- Which are your favorite hobbies?
“Play with my dog, go out with friends, dance, go to the cinema and play soccer”.
- Who was your first coach?
“Virgina Garrido. I am very grateful to her, because she had a lot of patience with me since I just wanted to play and not train, but she supported me and got the best of me”.
- Which club do you represent?
“Sport Center CHAPULTEPEC”.
- Is Badminton popular in your country?
“It is not so popular here in Mexico, but with the results that we have, it is having a good expansion”.
- Have you ever played in the Junior Pan Am Championships?
“I Have participated a few times and won the gold medal in mixed and bronze in singles”.
