The trio will be officially recognised at a virtual ceremony and media event hosted by the BWF on June 16.

Zhang, Cai and Fu were key figures in China’s dominance of the sport during the 2000s and early 2010s.

BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer lauded their stellar achievements and labelled them as instrumental figures in the history of the sport.

The trio are the first players added to the BWF Hall of Fame since 2018, and grow the number of Chinese inductees to 18.

"Zhang Ning, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng are iconic figures from recent years," said Høyer.

"They played at an incredibly high level, which helped them win every major title in badminton.

"Most importantly, the standards they set will always be a challenge for younger generations of players who seek to emulate them.

"I congratulate them on entering the BWF Hall of Fame, which is a well-deserved recognition for these three great players from China."

Zhang won the women's singles gold at the Athens 2004 Olympics and four years later, under the pressure of immense home expectation, successfully defended her title in Beijing, becoming the first woman to do so.

She also won the world title in 2003, and helped China to team triumphs at the 2004 and 2006 Uber Cup events, and the Sudirman Cup in 2005 and 2007.

Cai and Fu won four men’s world doubles titles as well as taking silver at the Beijing 2008 Olympics and gold in London four years later.

They also made major contributions to China’s success in the Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup.

Following Cai's retirement, Fu partnered Zhang Nan to win another Olympic gold at the Rio 2016 Games.