Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), ranked No. 1 in the badminton women’s singles world rankings, will challenge for her second gold medal this year at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) India Open (Super 750).

The badminton team, including Ahn Se-young, will participate in the 2024 India Open Badminton Championships to be held in New Delhi, India, starting on the 16th (Korean time). 지울프-토토

The India Open, the second tournament this year, is one of the highest-ranked World Tour tournaments along with the Malaysia Open (Super 1000), which ended on the 14th. 

It is a competition that provides sufficient motivation for athletes aiming to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The national team that went to India on the 15th after finishing the Malaysia Open included women’s singles Ahn Se-young

two men’s doubles groups (Seo Seung-jae – Kang Min-hyuk, Kim Won-ho – Na Seong-seung), and four women’s doubles groups (Kim Hye-jung – Jeong Na-eun, Kim So-young – Kong Hee-yong, Lee So-hee – Baek Ha-na). , Shin Seung-chan – Lee Yu-rim), and two mixed doubles teams (Seo Seung-jae – Chae Yu-jeong, Kim Won-ho – Jeong Na-eun) will participate.

Among them, Na Seong-seung (Gimcheon City Hall) was eliminated from the 2024 national team selection competition and will compete as an individual.

The national team is in a good mood as it previously won one gold medal (Ahn Se-young), one silver medal (Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun), and two bronze medals (Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, and Seo Seung-jae and Kang Min-hyuk) at the Malaysia Open. Among them

Ahn Se-young will enter the Indian Open as a ‘defending champion.’ Ahn Se-young got her 2023 off to a good start with her come-from-behind win over her arch-rival Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) at the India Open in January last year. 

Since then, she has grown into a global star, winning 10 gold medals in one year alone, including the All England Open, World Championships, and Asian Games. 

She suffered a knee injury in the finals of the Asian Games and was undefeated in the three tournaments she competed in

but returned to the top with a come-from-behind victory over Tai Tzu-ying (Taiwan) at the Malaysia Open, her first tournament of the year.

There are concerns that her knee is not yet in perfect condition, but it is not to the point where she cannot play.

Her nemesis with Yamaguchi, Tai Ziying, Chen Yufei, and He Bingjiao (hereinafter referred to as China), who had held her back at every important moment in the past

was completely erased. If Ahn Se-young, who already has no opponent, manages her condition well, she can aim for her second consecutive victory in the competition and her second consecutive win in the season.

In men’s doubles, the pair of Seo Seung-jae (Samsung Life Insurance) and Kang Min-hyuk (Samsung Life Insurance)

last year’s World Championship and King of Kings Champions, is preparing to play again.

Among them, Seo Seung-jae is full of confidence after receiving the 2023 Player of the Year award from BWF along with Ahn Se-young.

Seo Seung-jae is also competitive in mixed doubles, paired with Chae Yu-jeong (Incheon International Airport), and will challenge for multiple crowns in this tournament.

Meanwhile, following the India Open, the national team will play the Indonesia Masters (Super 500) and Thailand Masters (Super 300) in order.

Afterwards, they will play at the French Open and All England Open in March, and the Asian Championships in April, before heading to Paris, their final goal.