Ahn Se-young, the strongest shuttlecock, will attempt to set a record in badminton history at the end-of-the-year King of Kings Tournament.
Ahn Se-young, ranked No. 1 in the women’s singles world rankings, will compete in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals held in Hangzhou, China. The World Tour Finals is the badminton world’s ‘King of Kings’ where only the top eight players (groups) in World Tour points are invited throughout the year, and it determines the best in five events, including men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
If Ahn Se-young rises to the top in this tournament, he will tie the record of 11 wins in a single season set by Kento Momota in 2019. It is a tie record for both men and women and an unprecedented new record for women’s singles. Ahn Se-young has already won 10 championship trophies by participating in 14 international competitions this season, and achieved 10 wins in a season for the first time in women’s singles history by winning the Australian Open.
The previous record for most wins in women’s singles also belongs to Ahn Se-young. He has already set a new standard by recording nine wins in the season at the 2023 World Championships and World Tour competitions. This finals is an opportunity to surpass the record he set himself.
Ahn Se-young’s competitors are formidable. China’s Wang Ziyi and Han Yue, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi and Tomoka Miyazaki, Indonesia’s Wardani, and Thailand’s Chochuwong and Inthanon will participate. China’s Chen Yufei, who was called a ‘natural enemy’, cannot participate in this tournament due to restrictions on participation by country. Ahn Se-young is placed in Group A along with Yamaguchi, Wardani, and Miyazaki and aims to advance to the semifinals after playing the group stage.
Another historic challenge for Korea continues in this tournament in the men’s doubles. Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho enter the finals with an overwhelming No. 1 ranking in the World Tour, having won 10 tournaments together, including the World Championships, this season. If they reach the top, they will tie the record for most wins in a season with Ahn Se-young. The two players will face each other in Group A against Malaysia, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
The BWF secretariat highlighted the possibility of Korean players challenging record-breaking goals with the expression, ‘History is calling to Korea’ through its official channels. This finals is attracting even more attention because new history can be created in two events at the same time in one competition.
Ahn Se-young, Seo Seung-jae, and Kim Won-ho were on their way to catch two birds with one stone, a record and a championship, at the last stage of this season.
Photo source = AFP / Yonhap News
Choi Dae-young [email protected]
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