'Badminton Empress' An Se-young, waving the national flag at AG kickoff: "To bring inspiration and strength to the people"... Kim Ga-eun also vows, "We will definitely win the team event and place in the individual competition"

*This content was translated by AI.

'Badminton Empress' An Se-young and Kim Ga-eun (both from Samsung Life) have issued powerful kickoff statements ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The Korea Badminton Association publicly shared the determination of national team players set to compete in the Asian Games via its official SNS on the 12th. An Se-young and Kim Ga-eun, who are central figures in women's singles, conveyed their resolve and goals ahead of the tournament.

An Se-young stated, "We will do our utmost to bring inspiration and strength to the people. We ask for your continued interest and support."

Though brief, her determination was clear. Having established herself as one of the world's top players, An Se-young aims once again to defend Korea's badminton pride on the Asian Games stage and reach the summit.

The Asian Games hold good memories for An Se-young. At the previous Hangzhou Asian Games, she claimed the women's singles title and also won a gold medal in the women's team event, securing a double crown at the tournament.

Notably, during the women's singles final, she did not give up even after suffering an injury to her right knee mid-match. After receiving emergency treatment, she returned to the court and defeated China's Tian Wei-fei 2-1 to claim gold, leaving a powerful impression.

Since then, An Se-young has continued to hold her position at the world's pinnacle, serving as a flagship player for Korean badminton.

Her recent form is also strong. Last month, she won the title at the World Championships held in New Delhi, India. She followed this up by achieving a three-peat at the China Masters, which concluded on the 6th.

What stands out even more is her path to victory. In both tournaments, An Se-young completed a "perfect win" without dropping a single game against any opponent, showcasing overwhelming performance.

Considering her momentum and current form, she is widely regarded as the strongest gold medal contender for this year's Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Kim Ga-eun also outlined specific goals. She emphasized, "As this is my second Asian Games, I will draw on past experiences to definitely achieve our goals of winning the team event and placing in the individual competition."

Building on her experience from previous tournaments, Kim Ga-eun has set a clear objective: not only to win the team title but also to step onto the podium in the individual event.

The Korean women's badminton team boasts formidable strength for this tournament as well. Anchored by world-class player An Se-young and supported by experienced and skilled players like Kim Ga-eun, they are expected to challenge for the top spot not only in the individual event but also in the team competition.

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*This content was translated by AI.