"I will go and enjoy it." An Se-young, with a winning rate of 98%, delivers the world's most formidable "fearsome" declaration for the Asian Games [Jincheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

An Se-young (Samsung Life), preparing for the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games, declared her resolve to "let go of pressure and return having enjoyed the competition." Three years ago at the Hangzhou (China) Games, she carried significant pressure; now, as the world's strongest player, she confidently asserts that she will protect her top position while enjoying the event with ease.

On the 8th, An Se-young attended the Media Day for the Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team at the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games held at the National Athletes Village in Jincheon, Chungbuk. She stated confidently, "As much as everyone expects and supports me, I will do my best to deliver. I will let go of pressure and return having enjoyed it."

An Se-young, who won double gold medals in women's singles and team events at the previous Hangzhou Games, aims for gold in both individual and team competitions at this tournament as well. If she successfully defends her title in women's singles, An will become the first Korean female player to achieve back-to-back Asian Games gold in the event. With a record of 49 wins and 1 loss—a remarkable winning rate of 98%—her extraordinary performance this season is certainly worth high expectations.

An Se-young emphasized, "Three years ago (at the Hangzhou Asian Games), I went without high expectations for gold. This time, I am receiving many expectations, and I believe I can do it. Of course, winning a gold medal as an athlete is good. At this tournament, just as many people expect of me, I also have high expectations. I will play the matches I want to play and ensure I can enjoy them."

She continued with a smile, "This time, I really want to enjoy it thoroughly. I hope to have fun without too much stress during the competition period." She added, "I often think that all members of the national team should achieve good results, celebrate together, and return having had a wonderful experience."

She has completely shaken off the aftermath of injuries that led her to withdraw from the Japan Open and skip the subsequent China Open. An Se-young stated, "Actually, my goal for the China Masters (champion) was not only to achieve good results but also to finish without injury. My physical condition is not significantly poor. I will now rebuild my conditioning and prepare well for the tournament."

An Se-young further remarked, "At Hangzhou, I lacked confidence in my play and felt like I couldn't enjoy it. However, I have gained much experience since then. The difference now is that I have the mental space to figure out how to play while enjoying it. From now on, every opponent in every match is a rival. I must always be prepared for everything. That is why I am striving to prepare even more perfectly."

The Bae Deu-min-teon (CEO) team, including An Se-young, will depart for Japan, the decisive venue, on the 17th. The badminton schedule for the Asian Games runs from the 20th to the 24th with men's and women's team events first, followed by individual competitions from the 25th to the 29th. The women's team final in which An Se-young is highly likely to compete is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on the 24th, while the individual finals, including women's singles, are set to begin at 11 a.m. on the 29th.

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*This content was translated by AI.