World number 89 Jihoon Choi delivered a stunning upset at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Feb. 26, defeating defending champion and world number 12 Li Shifeng of China 2-1 in the badminton men’s singles 32gal (second round) at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Choi overcame a first-game deficit to win 18-21, 21-19, 21-18, advancing to the round of 16 on a grueling day featuring two full rounds of singles competition.
An Unlikely Contender Rises in Ichinomiya
The gap between the two players on paper was substantial. Li entered the tournament as the gold medalist from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and carried the mantle of defending champion for the Chinese delegation. While Li had experienced mixed results on the international circuit earlier in the season—including early exits at the China Open and the World Championships—he remained a formidable obstacle in a major multi-sport championship setting.
Choi, ranked 77 spots below his opponent at 89th in the world, approached the opening round with lowered expectations and minimal pressure. Rather than letting the opponent’s reputation dictate the tempo, the South Korean challenger stepped onto the court aiming simply to learn and compete without fear. That relaxed mindset ultimately laid the groundwork for one of the tournament’s most surprising early results.
How the Three-Game Battle Unfolded
The match began with a tight, nervous rhythm as both athletes traded points through the opening frame. Neither man could establish a comfortable cushion, locking the score at 18-18 before Li capitalized on late errors to string together three consecutive points and secure a 21-18 win in the first game.
Dropping the opening frame served to settle Choi’s nerves rather than disrupt his focus. Entering the second game with visibly sharper aggression, Choi raced out to a 7-1 lead. Li clawed his way back, erasing the deficit to draw level at 7-7 and briefly seizing a 10-8 advantage. Choi refused to yield, stabilizing his footwork and tightening his shot selection. Tied at 19-19 in a high-pressure sequence, the underdog captured the final two points to take the second game 21-19, forcing a decisive third.
The final game deteriorated into an exhausting physical battle. Long rallies drained the stamina of both players, but Choi found an extra gear. After a 6-6 deadlock in the third, Choi never surrendered the lead again, answering every late charge from the defending champion with relentless defensive retrieval before closing out the match 21-18.
Post-Match Assessment and What Lies Ahead
Exhausted by the physical toll of a schedule that forced men’s and women’s singles competitors to play both the second and third rounds on the same calendar day, Choi admitted in the mixed zone that the magnitude of the upset had not yet fully registered. “I still can’t believe I won, so it hasn’t really sunk in,” Choi told reporters after the match. “I need to focus on recovery right away because the next match is almost immediately. It feels good, but I have to focus on what’s next.”
Reflecting on the psychological turning point of the match, Choi credited his ability to maintain longer rallies and minimize unforced errors under duress. “I didn’t do anything particularly special, and I think Li was feeling a lot of pressure too,” Choi said. “I made fewer mistakes than usual. We both got tired as the rallies dragged on, but I think my mental resilience held up a bit better.”
With the opening hurdle cleared, Choi turns his attention immediately toward recovery and preparation for the round of 16 amidst the condensed Asian Games schedule.
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