"We didn't target their weakness, even though the opponent had a leg cramp" — The class shown by Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee... Overseas media also praise their 'sportsmanship' [Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games]

*This content was translated by AI.

The battle for the gold medal was fierce, but they did not exploit their opponent's injury. Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na (both of Incheon International Airport; world No. 2), the flagbearers of Korean women's doubles badminton, showcased shining sportsmanship alongside winning the Asian Games gold medal for the first time in 24 years.

Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na secured a comeback victory with a score of 2-1 (26-28, 21-18, 21-18) against China's Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, who are ranked No. 1 in the world, in the women's doubles final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games badminton tournament held on the 29th at Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

It was a massive battle that lasted a full hour and 51 minutes. Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, who had settled for silver at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, put their first-ever Asian Games gold medal around their necks on this day, completely washing away the regret from the previous tournament.

It has been a full 24 years since Korean women's doubles last reached the top of the Asian Games, following Ra Kyung-min and Lee Kyung-won at the 2002 Busan Games.

It was a masterpiece worthy of a final match.

From the first game, the two pairs fought without giving an inch. Even after reaching 20 points, ties and lead changes repeated, and the deuce battle continued until 26-26. Ultimately, the Chinese pair took the last two points to win the first game 28-26. It took a full 41 minutes just for the first game.

However, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na did not waver.

The tense battle continued in the second game as well, but the Korean pair gradually gained the upper hand after the midpoint. Although they allowed the score to be tied at 18-18 late in the game, they then scored three consecutive points to win 21-18. The game score was 1-1. The owner of the gold medal would be decided in the final third game.

The third game was even more dramatic.

Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na built momentum by leading 5-2 and 10-6 early on. However, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, leveraging their powerful attacking ability, tied the score at 10-10 and then reversed the flow. The Chinese pair once pulled ahead to 15-12 and was still leading by one point at 18-17 late in the game.

It was right then that a variable emerged.

At 18-18, Liu Shengshu of China, who had been playing while injured, suffered a leg cramp. Her partner Tan Ning personally helped stretch Liu's leg. After a brief treatment, she returned to the court, but her movements were noticeably sluggish. Even at one point when she was sitting on the court, she continued the match by returning the shuttlecock.

The situation was just a few points away from the gold medal. If they had concentrated on targeting their opponent's weakness, they could have resolved the match much more easily.

But Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na did not do so.

Hong Kong media outlet HK01 focused on this scene after the match. The outlet reported, "The opponent player's injury was a good opportunity for the Korean pair, but Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee did not exploit it," adding, "They intentionally avoided targeting the injured Liu Shengshu and instead sent the shuttlecock as much as possible toward Tan Ning, who was not injured."

Instead of focusing on Liu Shengshu, whose movements had slowed due to injury for the sake of victory, they chose a head-on battle against Tan Ning, who could move normally.

Even so, the winner was Korea. Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, who were trailing 17-18, demonstrated terrifying concentration at the final moment. After tying the score at 18-18, they succeeded in consecutive scoring to ultimately end the match with a 21-18 victory. It was a thrilling comeback where they took all of the last four points.

Sportsmanship continued even after the game ended. HK01 evaluated, "After the match concluded, the two Korean players first approached the injured Liu Shengshu to check on her condition," adding, "They showed sportsmanship both inside and outside the court."

The significance of the victory itself was also special. Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, who have been partnering since October 2022, are the flagbearers of Korean women's doubles badminton who have consistently produced major results on the international stage.

In December last year, they achieved a two-peat at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals, known as the 'champion of champions.' This year, they reached the semifinals at the China Open, India Open, and Singapore Open, but claimed the runner-up spot at the All England Open, which boasts the highest prestige, and reached the top at last month's World Championships.

In particular, the World Championship victory was the first for Korean women's doubles in a full 31 years since Gil Young-ah and Jang Hye-ok in 1995.

The final opponent at that time was also Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning. Following their World Championship win, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na defeated the world No. 1 Chinese pair in the Asian Games final as well, smiling consecutively on the most important stages.

While the gold medal after 24 years shone brightly, the class shown at the final moment of the match was no less impressive.

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*This content was translated by AI.