"I don't want to give up" — a heartbreaking remark, just before the opening: ACL rupture leads to boxing's Im Ae-ji abandoning her Asian Games bid

*This content was translated by AI.

Im Ae-ji (27, Hwasun County Office), who became the first South Korean female boxer to stand on the podium at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will not compete at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games due to an injury that occurred just before the tournament's opening.

According to the Daehanbok Boxing Association and Im Ae-ji on the 28th, she underwent surgery after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and other structures during recent training, ultimately deciding to withdraw from the Asian Games. She was scheduled to compete in the women's 54kg division at this tournament.

Just over a week prior, on the 20th, Im had attended the D-30 media day for the Asian Games opening at the National Athlete Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, under Bok Sing (CEO), and publicly declared her determination to compete. However, she suffered the heartbreaking setback of an ACL tear during training, bringing her third attempt at the Asian Games to a close.

Indeed, during the previous Asian Games media day, Im stated, "This is my third Asian Games appearance; I lost in my first match at the second tournament," adding, "I will strive to reach the finals this time," expressing her strong resolve to win a medal.

At her first-ever Asian Games in 2018 in Jakarta-Palembang (Indonesia), she was eliminated in the quarterfinals, and at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, she lost to North Korea's Bang Cheol-mi in the round of 16, failing to reach the podium. This tournament marked her third Asian Games challenge and also her first opportunity to compete for a medal.

Given that she made history and garnered significant attention at the 2024 Paris Olympics, expectations for her performance at this tournament were high. At the time, she secured South Korea's first Olympic boxing medal by a female boxer and the nation's first Olympic boxing medal in 12 years across both men's and women's categories. Beyond her skill, she earned widespread fan affection with her cheerful and vibrant energy.

Even as mounting expectations and attention turned into pressure, she quietly prepared for this tournament. Im reflected, "After the Olympics, I focused on injury management. While I was grateful for achieving good results afterward, I always felt some dissatisfaction with my match performances."

She continued, "In fact, after the Olympics, the burden only increased. Although I lived with a mindset of starting anew, the pressure became so great that other athletes and coaches seemed to overestimate me. However, while preparing for this tournament, I have been focusing on trusting myself and believing I can perform well."

Despite calmly sharing her emotional struggles thus far, Im reaffirmed her determination to win a medal at the Asian Games. Yet, with less than a month remaining before the tournament's opening, she was forced to postpone this challenge for the most heartbreaking reason.

On social media (SNS), Im wrote, "I feel deeply sorry that I cannot be with you, but our national athletes are preparing diligently. The support and attention given to athletes truly give me strength. Please continue to expect great things from us and cheer for us." She also added the heartbreaking message, "I don't want to give up," in her self-written statement explaining her withdrawal from the Asian Games. In Im's place, Yang I-young (Gumi City Sports Council), who finished second in the national selection trials, will compete as a replacement athlete.

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*This content was translated by AI.