Photo = Getty Images Korea
Badminton has also suffered a lot of damage from the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but there is no giving up. The Korean badminton team is aiming for a reversal at the 2022 Korea Open, overcoming the bad news of leaving a key player.
The tournament, which is being held at the Suncheon Palma Gymnasium, ended on the 3rd day of the 7th. Badminton Korea advanced to the quarterfinals in all events. The Korea Open, which celebrated its 31st year this year, was held for the first time in three years due to the prolonged Corona 19 crisis.
In Korea Badminton, overcoming the strength of China and Indonesia in the past Korea Open, Kim Moon-soo-Park Joo-bong and Jeong So-young-Hwang Hye-young won the men’s and women’s doubles for two consecutive times (1991~1992), Bae Soo-hyeon’s women’s singles two consecutive wins (1993~1994), Kim Dong-Moon-Ra Kyung-Min He achieved numerous achievements, including 6 consecutive mixed doubles losses (1999-2004). In 2016, he won all three events in the doubles and achieved the best performance ever.
However, from 2017 to 2018, they were not military officers for two consecutive years, and in 2019, they had to be satisfied only with the women’s doubles win between Kim So-young (30, Incheon International Airport) and Gong Hee-yong (26, Jeonbuk Bank). Kim So-young, Gong Hee-yong, and Shin Seung-chan and Lee So-hee (28, Incheon International Airport), who were in the bronze medal match side by side in the women’s doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, all withdrew in the aftermath of the Corona 19 infection, and this is the first event following this year’s event. On that day, Lee Yong-dae (34, Yonex), who paired up with Kim Jae-hyeon (20) and challenged the 7th men’s doubles domination at the Korea Open, drank early.
Fortunately, the worried gaze is changing to a positive one as the tournament progresses. Women’s singles Kim Ga-eun (24, Samsung Life Insurance) won the round of 16 by defeating Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Chen Yu-fei (China) 2-0 (21-17 21-19) in the round of 16, and mixed doubles Kim Won-ho (23, Samsung Life Insurance)-Jeong Na-eun (22, Hwasun County Office) also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 (19-21 21-18 21-12) victory over Terry Hee-yong Kai-Tan Wei Han (above Indonesia), who won the Indian Open and Orleans Masters this year.
The outlook for the 8th is even brighter. Naeun Jeong continues her gold medal challenge in women’s doubles with Hyejeong Kim (24 ยท Samsung Life), of course in mixed doubles. Ahn Se-young (20, Samsung Life Insurance), who went to the women’s singles right after recovering from Corona 19, also exceeded expectations. In addition, Son Wan-ho (34, Incheon International Airport), husband of the 2013 and 2015 women’s singles champion Seong Ji-hyeon, challenges to establish a record of conquest of singles with a married couple by winning the men’s singles.
Korean badminton was evaluated as a successful generational change at the Tokyo Olympics. At the Korea Open, which should continue that momentum, it is adding meaning by overcoming the bad news of Corona 19 and proving its formidable competitiveness.
Reporter Jaemin Kwon [email protected] See more articles by reporter
