South Korean world No. 1 badminton player An Se-young is set to return to competition in November, continuing her pursuit of Paris Olympic qualification points. She has reiterated her strong desire to win an Olympic gold medal.
An Se-young has undergone a remarkable transformation in her performance this year, demonstrating overwhelming dominance. She has claimed consecutive victories at the India Open, Indonesia Masters, All England Open, Thailand Open, Singapore Open, Korea Open, Japan Open, World Championships, China Open, and the Hangzhou Asian Games, establishing herself as an almost unbeatable force. However, An battled through the Asian Games with a knee injury. Subsequent MRI scans revealed a partial patellar tendon injury in her right knee, forcing her to withdraw from European tournaments. After a period of rest and recovery, An recently stated at an event: “The injured area has improved significantly and is much better now. It’s currently about 50-60% recovered, and I will restore it to 100% before returning to the court.” “I plan to make my comeback in a tournament in Japan in mid-November,” she added. An Se-young specified that she will return at the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters Japan 2023, which begins on November 14th, where her first-round opponent will be Pai Yu-po of Chinese Taipei. An Se-young is a top favorite for gold at next year’s Paris Olympics. She once again emphasized her Olympic goal: “I have won an Asian Games gold medal, but I do not yet have an Olympic gold medal around my neck. Therefore, I will work even harder and take on the Olympic challenge. As an athlete, I still have much to prove.” An Se-young stated: “My current focus is to give my maximum effort every day in the sprint towards the Olympics. I will prepare thoroughly for the Olympics and aim to participate in my best possible condition.”
