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[스포츠조선 최만식 기자]’Happy worry.’
The Korean badminton women’s doubles is a strategic event that Korea can confidently perform on the international stage. Ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games in September, I had a ‘happy worry’. This is because a strong ‘competitor’ has emerged. Kim Hye-jeong (24, Samsung Life Insurance) and Jeong Na-eun (22, Hwasun County Office). Korea achieved the feat of harvesting three gold medals for the first time in six years at the ‘2022 Korea Open’, which closed on the 10th.
Another valuable harvest is the discovery of Kim Hye-jeong and Jeong Na-eun. So far, the women’s doubles in Korea has been a two-way system between the world’s second-ranked Sohee Lee (28) and Shin Seung-chan (28, Incheon International Airport), and the world’s third-ranked Kim So-young (30, Incheon International Airport)-Gong Hee-yong (26, Jeonbuk Bank).
Kim Hye-jeong and Jeong Na-eun are the ones who have grown to threaten their stronghold. It is a welcome thing as a national team that has to select entries for the Asian Games ahead of the Asian Games (two individual groups and a maximum of three team competitions). This is because a ‘win-win’ structure is formed in order to protect the stronghold of the existing two mountain ranges and the new powers to challenge the fortress.
Kim Hye-jung and Jeong Na-eun-jo were officially formed in November of last year. She has appeared in major competitions up to the Korea Open five times, but the results are quite surprising. She won the bronze medal last March, when she made a sensation by beating world number one Chen Qingchen-Jia Yupan (China) at the most prestigious All-English Open. At the Korea Open she finally made it to the top.
Because the doubles team has not been formed for a while, the world ranking is still at 43, but the prospect of badminton is that it has infinite potential for growth in the future. Until the Hangzhou Asian Games entries are closed, the rankings can be raised sharply because there are not many tournaments with high points such as the Thai Open (Super 500), Indonesia Open (Super 1000), and Malaysia Open (Super 750).
Coincidentally, the two grew up well under a great ‘teacher’. Kim Hye-jeong’s mother is a women’s doubles gold medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Jeong So-young, a coach at Jeonju Sacred Heart Girls’ High School. Hwasun County Office Manager Chung Myung-hee, who raised Na-young Jeong, is a legend who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles championships four times in the 1980s at the All-Young Open.
Is it because of the great energy of DNA? Now, when it is time to bloom, it is growing terribly. About the secret to progress, Kim Hye-jung and Jeong Na-eun agreed, “The decrease in participation opportunities due to the corona has been made into a disgrace. As much as that, we have more time to train and prepare together.”
The personality match is also perfect. Na-eun Jung is a person who usually has few words and needs someone to lead it well. Conversely, her older sister Kim Hye-jeong said, “Naeun listens to me well even during the game. She behaves like her real sister-brother rather than a senior-junior.”
It is also important to increase intimacy on a regular basis due to the nature of the costume. Because of this, the play time during recess is also different. They have a one-on-one match on the class court and wager snacks. Kim Hye-jeong said, “I mostly lose because Na-eun makes a bloody bet,” she laughed. Kim Hye-jung and Jeong Na-eun, who said they had set a common goal of participating in the Asian Games, shouted their mottos and vowed to achieve higher growth. “Let’s not regret” (Kim Hye-jung), “Those who want to wear the crown, bear the weight” (Jung Na-eun).
Correspondent Mansik Choi [email protected]
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