"Japan was beaten by An Se-young of the Republic of Korea, but..." The reason Japan couldn't just smile [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Japan's reaction to advancing to the Asian Games finals after defeating South Korea, anchored by world No. 1 An Se-young, has been intensely heated. However, fierce sighs and complaints erupted over the fact that this thrilling Korea-Japan showdown held on home soil was not broadcast live on terrestrial TV.

Japanese media outlet "The Answer" reported on the 23rd: "A fierce battle unfolded between the badminton aces of Korea and Japan. Although world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi lost to world No. 1 An Se-young, she displayed remarkable performance." The report added, "However, since no terrestrial broadcast was scheduled, fans are expressing strong regret that they missed out on watching it."

According to the media, the Korea-Japan badminton showdown at the Asian Games venue was not carried by Japan's terrestrial broadcaster, which serves as the tournament's official broadcaster. Instead, it was exclusively streamed via paid OTT platforms.

Local fans expressed their disappointment through social networking services (SNS). Japanese fans commented: "The match between Yamaguchi and An Se-young was incredibly exciting and thrilling. It should have been broadcast on terrestrial TV," "It's such a shame there's no TV broadcast," "What an amazing game. I envy those who could watch it live at the stadium," "A battle between world-class players is truly remarkable," and "This was a classic match."

At the same time, praise poured in for Japan's national team, which overcame the massive mountain of An Se-young, the world's strongest player, to reach the finals. On the portal site "Yahoo Japan," users wrote: "We sincerely congratulate Japan's national team on reaching the finals," "Facing South Korea, which held firm with world No. 1 An Se-young ahead of their match against China, was the biggest challenge of this tournament. Although ace Yamaguchi unfortunately lost to An Se-young in the first singles match, Japan turned the tide immediately with three consecutive victories afterward. Especially decisive were the two doubles matches won."

On the 23rd, at the women's team badminton semi-finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, South Korea's national team, aiming for back-to-back titles, suffered a painful comeback loss to Japan with a match score of 1-3, concluding their tournament with a bronze medal.

The start was perfect. An Se-young, competing as the first singles player, faced her long-time rival Yamaguchi, whom she had met in the World Championships final this year. She dominated the first game with an overwhelming performance, scoring eight consecutive points to take a 21-9 lead. In the second game, despite overcoming a setback of bleeding from her right little finger, Yamaguchi fought valiantly and won the game 21-18. However, in the third game, she regained her experienced court control and secured a decisive victory 21-11, giving South Korea their first win with a set score of 2-1.

But South Korea's joy ended there. The doubles pair of world No. 2 Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, competing as the second doubles players, faced Japan's Fukushima Yuki-Matsumoto Mayu (world No. 3). After reaching a 10-10 tie in the middle of the first game, their concentration wavered, and they lost the opening game. In the second game, they failed to maintain a 15-11 lead, allowing an equalizer at 17-17 before ultimately falling 0-2 (15-21, 19-21).

With their momentum broken, South Korea also collapsed in the third singles match. Shim Yu-jin (world No. 16) faced Japan's rising star Tomoka Miyazaki (world No. 7). Despite leading 10-6 in the first game and holding a three-point advantage early in the second game, she lacked stamina and repeatedly surrendered comebacks, ultimately losing 0-2 (15-21, 14-21).

Facing a match score of 1-2 on the brink of elimination, the fourth doubles pair Jung Na-eun-Kim Hye-jung fought hard but fell short. Against Japan's world No. 7 pair Uesaka Rin-Naganishi Kie, they overcame a 4-11 deficit in the first game with seven consecutive points to tie the score and reached match point at 20-18. However, they conceded four straight points in the final moments and lost the first game painfully 20-22. In the second game, despite leading 10-7 until midway, they were outplayed by Japan's superior organization and concentration, suffering another comeback loss and ultimately falling 0-2 (20-22, 16-21).

Ultimately, despite An Se-young's dazzling performance in singles, the supporting doubles and singles lineup crumbled completely. South Korea surrendered their home-court ticket to the finals against their rival Japan, swallowing their disappointment.

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*This content was translated by AI.