[서울=뉴스핌] Sports Reporter Jang Hwan-soo = Not long after the New Year’s countdown ended, the departure hall at Incheon International Airport was full of tension. Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), world number one in badminton women’s singles, boarded the first flight of the new year with the national team. The destination is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is to participate in the Malaysia Open, which opens the 2026 season.
Even amidst the grueling schedule, Ahn Se-young’s expression showed excitement rather than burden. The flight departure time is 0:10. While most people were going to bed after saying New Year’s greetings to family and friends, Ahn Se-young was putting the first button on the new season.
The Malaysia Open is not just a season opener. It is a World Tour Super 1000 level competition and is a big event that determines the flow and atmosphere of a season. Performance on this stage has a huge impact not only on ranking points, but also on confidence and overall season plan. For Ahn Se-young, who maintained her top spot despite various injuries last year, starting in 2026 is more important than ever.
Ahn Se-young’s resolve, revealed in an interview just before leaving the country, was simple yet firm. The weight of the world tour, which will last all year, is fully contained in one short phrase: “I want to start the first game of the new year on a good note.” The away schedule from the Malaysia Open to the India Open is by no means light. You must adapt to the local environment, control your physical strength, and manage injuries at the same time. Nevertheless, the badminton national team chose to march forward for a meaningful start to the season. Celebrating the first day of the new year in the sky, the world’s strongest ‘racquet corps’ powerfully cut through the sky and headed to Kuala Lumpur.
In the early morning, a few hours after Ahn Se-young boarded the plane, the whole world was immersed in darkness, but the Jincheon National Team Training Center in North Chungcheong Province was an exception. Lights were already turned on throughout the athletes’ village, and the gymnasium, ice rink, and weight training center were awakened one by one. The days of the national team athletes who set their sights on the 2026 Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics and the Aichi/Nagoya Asian Games started early in the new year without exception, or rather, because it was the new year. Saying, “It’s the New Year, let’s just rest today” is just a luxury in Jincheon.
The short track team’s rink was already close to a battlefield even before the sun rose. The athletes at the starting line took a few seconds to catch their breath and then repeated the start at the coach’s signal. Detailed section training continued, including starting movements, entering corners, hitting outside, and touching in relays. The sound of skate blades cutting across the ice cut through the early morning air, and the coaches’ comments echoed through the rink. On the indoor monitor, the movement that had just been completed was played in slow motion, and the players carefully checked their form. This is because we know better than anyone else that even a small movement can change the color of an Olympic medal.
Another type of ‘New Year countdown’ was in progress at the training center next to the ice rink. Footsteps constantly circling the running track, high-intensity interval training, hellish time distribution on the cycle, and even the sound of heavy barbells coming from the weight training area. You can guess the intensity of Jincheon’s dawn just by hearing the sound.
The national team training opening ceremony will be held on the 7th at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village, but from the athletes’ perspective, the start of the new season has already begun a long time ago. From the moment they put on the Taegeuk symbol, the first day of the new year is not a day of rest for them.
Sports continue in the new year. The badminton team boarded the first flight of the new year, and the Taegeuk Warriors worked hard to push their limits even before the new year dawned. Their goal is one. We are running towards the highest position on the world stage in 2026. The calendar has only turned one page, but the Korean sports scene has begun sprinting towards a new history.
zangpabo@newspim.com
