Our badminton team is going for a medal in every event at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
With the Games just around the corner, the challenge is to keep top players like Ahn Se-young and Kim So-young in shape.
Seokjun Hong is the reporter.
World No. 1 badminton women’s singles player Ahn Se-young has reached the quarterfinals of the China Open, a precursor to the Hangzhou Asian Games.
She came from behind to defeat China’s Han Yue, ranked ninth in the world, 2-1, and has reached the semifinals or better in every tournament she has played this year.
Ahn cruised to her ninth title of the season and fourth in a row.
However, her performance at this tournament was a departure from her usual form.
Unlike at the World Championships last month, where she became the first South Korean singles player to win the title, she played with tape on her thigh and knee.
For now, it’s just for protection and precaution, but she’s had a thigh injury earlier this year and needs to be extra careful.
“As an athlete, I think I’ll have to live with the injury, so I’m just enduring it.”
Kim So-young, the eldest member of the Korean women’s doubles team, suffered a calf injury ahead of the China Open that left her heartbroken.
She withdrew from the tournament and rushed home for a checkup, which thankfully avoided any major damage.
“I’m planning to rest for a week, get injections and exercise, and train with the goal of playing at the Asian Games.” 바카라
For the team, which is aiming for an all-around medal and to erase the ‘no-medal shame’ of the last Asian Games, ‘taking care of their bodies’ is another task.
Meanwhile, the mixed doubles pair of Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yoo-jung advanced to the quarterfinals of the China Open with another win over No. 1 China’s Zheng Shiwei and Huang Yachong, whom they met in the World Championship final.