Rising Star: Kim Min-seon’s Journey to the Top in Women’s Badminton

Photo = Kim Min-seon (17, Chiak High School 2nd year). Korea Badminton Association

The women’s badminton team is considered a strong candidate to win the Uber Cup (World Women’s Team Badminton Championships) currently underway in Chengdu, China. This is because there are many world-class stars, including women’s singles Ahn Se-young (22, Samsung Life Insurance, world No. 1).

The national team is sailing smoothly under the guidance of coach Kim Hak-gyun. Early on, they defeated Mexico, the United States, and Denmark (5-0 wins) in Group D of the group stage, and advanced to the quarterfinals as first place in the group (3 points).

The biggest achievement in the process of advancing to the quarterfinals was the growth of the youngest member, Kim Min-seon (17, Chiak High School 2, no world ranking). Coach Kim highly evaluated Kim Min-seon’s potential and gave him a chance. Min-sun Kim responded to the coach’s faith by turning Sabrina Solis (107th) into a 2-0 match in 27 minutes in the 5th singles match against Mexico. Amid the assessment that he has no rivals at the junior level, he proudly earned his first national title in the national team selection match at the end of last year with 7 wins and 1 loss.

However, Kim Min-seon could not just smile even after being selected for the national team. This is because her twin sister Kim Min-ji (17, Chiak High School 2, unranked), who conquered the world together on the junior stage, fell from a horse due to a knee injury during the selection competition. He started playing badminton under the influence of his father, Kim Jong-hyuk, the coach of the national team, and since they have never been apart, it was a great regret that they could not wear the Taegeuk symbol together. She herself said, “On January 7th, when I entered the Jincheon National Team Athletes Village alone, I realized that I was separated from (Kim) Minji. “She still makes video calls several times a day,” she says.

For now, I think effort and time are the answer. She hopes that if she grows up by referring to the matches of her idols, Ahn Se-young and Carolina Marin (Spain, 3rd place), she will one day be able to compete on the world stage with her older sister. Kim Min-seon said, “I am a left-hander who emphasizes attack power, while Minji is a right-hander who values ​​stability. “Our play styles are different, but our hearts for each other are the same,” he said. “Fortunately, Minji’s recovery is clear. “Even if we spend a long time apart, if we work hard in our respective positions, we will eventually be able to meet on the national team,” he said emphatically.

Reporter Kwon Jae-min [email protected] See more of this reporter’s articles

2024-05-01 03:33:06
#Kim #Minseon #youngest #member #badminton #team #reuniting #twin #sister #Sports #Donga