Kiwi badminton champion Abhinav 'Mani' Manota has the chance of a lifetime later today, in the first round of the New Zealand Open.
The NZ singles champ has drawn a true legend of the sport, China's Lin Dan, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion.
Known as the King of Badminton, Dan inspired Manota when he first picked up a shuttlecock.
"When dad and I used to watch him on the TV when I was younger, when I was starting to play badminton, I used to say 'hey dad, I want to be like him, I want to play like him.'"
Now, Manota's dad will get the watch his son take on the great, with his parents visiting from India.
"They came this month, so it's just the timing couldn't be perfect, can't be better than than."
The 27-year-old has lived in New Zealand for five years, and was given a wildcard entry into the main draw.
With Olympic qualification points on the line, he knows beating the defending champion first up will be tough.
"I would like to say 50-50, but I'm not sure how true that is, but I'll definitely try my best."
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