On August 21, the world's top-ranked female badminton player, South Korea's An Se-young, declared she is shifting her focus to defending her ASIAD championship title at the games in Japan next month, just days after claiming the world title.
Speaking in Seoul, An Se-young emphasized that her world championship victory serves as a major motivation, but she has no intention of slowing down. "I will devote myself entirely to the ASIAD. It is one of the most important goals of my career," the 24-year-old athlete shared.
An Se-young clinched the women's singles gold at the 2022 ASIAD in Hangzhou, China. For the upcoming games, she is regarded as a top contender for the title, despite fierce competition from host nation Japan and China.
The recent world championships marked a historic milestone as An Se-young became the first South Korean to win the women's singles world title since 1996. She also currently leads the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings in women's singles.
The upcoming ASIAD is set to be held in Japan, with the opening ceremony scheduled for mid-September. An Se-young will enter the competition immediately after a short training camp at home.
