Seyoung Ahn. /Getty Images Korea
[마이데일리 = 김경현 기자] Badminton will change from 2026. There are many opinions that the rule change was made to ‘sniper’ Ahn Se-young. Will Ahn Se-young be able to overcome this like Korean archery?
The best player in 2025 is definitely Ahn Se-young. Ahn Se-young defeated Wang Zhiyi (China) with a set score of 2-1 (21-13 18-21 21-10) in the women’s singles final of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals 2025 held at the Olympic Sports Center in Hangzhou, China on the 21st.
With this victory, Ahn Se-young achieved her 11th win of the season. In 2019, he tied the men’s singles record with Kento Momota (Japan) for the most wins in a single season.
In addition, they recorded 73 wins in 77 games, ranking first in history with a winning percentage of 94.8%. The previous record was 92.8% (64 wins, 5 losses) set by Lin Dan (China) and Lee Chongwei (Malaysia). The prize money also exceeded $1 million for the first time in history. It is GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in name and reality.
Seyoung Ahn. /Getty Images Korea
Ahn Se-young said through BWF, “In the second half, my legs hurt every time I landed, but I held on until the end. I’m really happy that I was able to finish with such a good result. I can’t express my feelings in words. My efforts so far have been rewarded, and I want to challenge for more records.”
The 21-point, 3-set lead that Ahn Se-young dominated ends. Starting next year, a 15-point 3-set first-place system will be introduced. The number of points required to win per set is reduced by 6 points. The BWF explained that the increase in close matches makes the game more interesting, allows players to reach interesting sections more quickly, and is beneficial for player health and longevity.
There is a suspicion that Ahn Se-young was a ‘sniper’. Ahn Se-young tends to stop and kill opponents based on her tireless stamina. This is why Ahn Se-young comes back to life as the second half progresses. If the score decreases, there is a possibility that Ahn Se-young will have an advantage.
2024 Paris Olympics women’s archery team./Getty Images Korea
2024 Paris Olympic men’s archery team./Getty Images Korea
Now it’s time to prove it. If you are truly the strongest, you must overcome trials. Korean archery is a good example. Archery regulations were constantly changing to keep Korea in check.
Archery was adopted as an official sport at the 1972 Munich Olympics. At this time, it was a single round where a total of 288 shots were fired at each distance and the highest scorer won. As the Korean national team swept archery, a tournament system was introduced at the 1992 Barcelona Games, and the number of arrows was reduced at the 2008 Beijing Games. The set system was introduced at the 2012 London Games.
Korean archery has overcome them all. The women’s archery team recorded its 10th consecutive Olympic victory. The men’s national team also swept all events at the 2024 Paris Games. Korea could not be stopped with ‘tricks’.
Seyoung Ahn/Getty Images Korea
A new badminton game will begin in 2026. Will Ahn Se-young overcome all difficulties and maintain her position as the best?
Reporter Kim Kyung-hyeon kij4457@mydaily.co.kr
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