An Se-young Aims for Asian Games Title Defense After World Championship Triumph

South Korean badminton sensation An Se-young is setting her sights on a second consecutive Asian Games gold medal after a dominant performance at the World Championships. An secured her second world title on Sunday, defeating Japan's world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi 2-0 in the final in New Delhi.

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I will confidently charge in without anything to lose.

This victory marks a significant achievement for An, who also won the 2023 World Championships, becoming the first South Korean to do so in women's singles. Her triumph this year was particularly notable, as she navigated the entire tournament without losing a single set, a 'perfect victory' that she described as more satisfying than her previous win.

An revealed that she focused heavily on conditioning leading up to the tournament after withdrawing from the Japan Open due to left foot pain and skipping the China Open for recovery. Despite not being at perfect physical condition, she concentrated on regaining her match sharpness. "I was nervous because it was my first tournament after returning from injury, and I focused on quickly regaining my match sense," she said. "I didn't have high expectations, so I'm surprised I achieved such good results."

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I believe that if I play more confidently through hard work, I will achieve good results.

Looking ahead, An is determined to defend her Asian Games title, which she won in 2022 (held in 2023). She sees her recent victory over Yamaguchi as a positive sign. "The Asian Games is a tournament every player wants to win, and I really want to win the gold medal too," An stated. "The most important thing is not to feel the pressure. I believe that if I play more confidently through hard work, I will achieve good results."

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This win is much more satisfying than the win three years ago.

Meanwhile, the women's doubles pair of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na also clinched gold, marking South Korea's first women's doubles world title in 31 years. They defeated China's world No. 1 duo of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning. The team's success, including a bronze medal in men's doubles, has coach Park Joo-bong optimistic about their prospects at the upcoming Asian Games.

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I was nervous because it was my first tournament after returning from injury, and I focused on quickly regaining my match sense.