Maya Taguchi (21), who attracted a lot of attention as the most beautiful woman in the women’s badminton world, will temporarily step down from her position as the national team. This is due to the aftermath of injuries this season.
Japanese media such as Daily Sports and The Digest recently reported that Taguchi decided not to play for the Japanese national team this year through his team’s official website.
Many Japanese badminton fans were shocked when Taguchi’s announcement through his team became known. Yuta Watanabe, who is currently playing as Taguchi’s partner in mixed doubles, also announced his resignation from the national team. Watanabe gave the reason for his resignation, saying, “It is not easy to repay the company that supports me and the people who help me in the current situation.”
According to reports, the reason Taguchi is withdrawing from the national team is due to management of a knee injury. The media emphasized, “I thought it was a top priority to care for and strengthen my knee,” and “I judged that it would be difficult to follow the Japanese national team’s schedule with sufficient responsibility. Accordingly, I have made the decision to resign from the national team.”
Taguchi is receiving great attention from Korean fans due to his beautiful appearance. Recently, a photo of herself wearing a traditional Japanese kimono was revealed on her personal social network service (SNS) to celebrate Coming of Age Day, sparking a hot topic.
Korean fans are also reacting to her appearance, calling her ‘Badminton’s Hani’ and ‘It’s like watching Twice.’ Local Japanese media also praised her, calling her ‘a coming-of-age ceremony with the best visuals ever’ and ‘celebrity-level beauty that goes beyond that of a sports star.’
His skills are also outstanding. The star of Japanese women’s badminton, her main sports are women’s doubles and mixed doubles. In 2023, she won the women’s doubles title at the World Junior Championships. He is currently evaluated as a key resource for the Japan adult national team.
However, the assessment is that there are still many mountains to overcome. Before his resignation, he was pairing with Yuta Watanabe, a bronze medalist in mixed doubles at two consecutive Olympics, with the goal of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He was aiming to enter the top 20 in the world rankings this year, but decided to take a break to manage his injury.
