Anse-young's expression stiffened; she was the first to leave... The failure to win the team event title was even more regrettable because of how desperately she wanted it. [At the Ichinomiya venue]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The team event feels even more significant; it is a tournament I truly want to win."

On the 23rd, the day of the women's team badminton semi-final (quarterfinal) match between Korea and Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games held at the Ichinomiya Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, An Se-young (Samsung Life), who took on the role of the first singles player, succeeded in seizing the initiative. She repeatedly expressed her determination to win the team event gold medal. Although An Se-young has stood atop numerous tournaments before, winning a team event gold medal carries a different meaning for her.

Meeting with reporters, An Se-young said, "Most competitions are individual events where athletes compete alone. Team events occur only a few times a year. They are special, which is why I have even more affection for them. That's why I want to win even more." She added, "Winning isn't achieved by performing well alone. It requires true teamwork, making it even more special." Moreover, having previously stood atop the team event at the 2022 Hangzhou (China) Games, her attempt to defend the team event gold medal at this tournament was naturally filled with ambition.

After defeating 'world No. 3' Yamaguchi Akane and completing her first singles duty, An Se-young sat behind the court to cheer for her teammates. In the team event, teams play up to five matches alternating between singles and doubles, with the first team to secure three wins declared victorious. With An Se-young already securing one win, Korea needed only half of the remaining four matches to reach the final. This explains why she enthusiastically cheered despite being completely exhausted after a grueling match that went to the final game.

However, An Se-young's winning momentum was not carried forward by subsequent players. Following Gong Hee-yong's withdrawal due to injury, Kim Ga-eun, ranked second in the world (No. 12), also had to withdraw from the match due to injury on the same day. Ultimately, Korea failed to maintain An Se-young's winning streak and suffered a defeat. The doubles pair of Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee in the second doubles, Shim Yu-jin in the third singles, and Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong in the fourth doubles all lost 0-2. In every match and game, they fought fiercely against their opponents and relentlessly chased down points, but repeatedly fell short due to a lack of concentration at crucial moments.

The Korean women's badminton team secured a bronze medal in the team event at this tournament. Of course, a bronze medal is certainly a valuable achievement; however, considering that the goal for this tournament was a gold medal, the result inevitably left room for regret. This is also why An Se-young, with her expression tightly set immediately after Korea's elimination from the semi-finals, was the first to leave the venue. Her determination to win the gold medal at this tournament was strong, and given how desperately she wanted it, the sense of disappointment could only be profound.

Instead, An Se-young can channel her disappointment from the team event into the individual competitions. Starting with the 64th-round matches in women's singles and other badminton individual events on the 25th, the highly anticipated finals will take place on the 29th. Following her success at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, An Se-young aims to defend her title in the women's singles individual event. Leaving behind the regret of the team event, she will step onto a stage where she can challenge history as part of Korea's first-ever achievement in badminton.

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*This content was translated by AI.