Aya Ohori
Character Introduction
Ōhori Aya (Japanese: おおほり あや,October 2, 1996) is a Japanese female badminton player and an active member of the Japan National Badminton Team (A Team). Born in Fukushima Prefecture, as a youth, she won the 2013 Asian Youth Championships women’s singles title, becoming the first Japanese Asian Youth Championships women’s singles champion.
In 2011, Obori colored represented the school at the National Middle School Badminton Conference (English: 全国中学校バドミントン大会) and won the girls’ singles title and the girls’ team title, with teammates including Arisa Higashino, who won the girls’ doubles title.
In June 2012, Obori color on behalf of Japan to participate in the Asian Junior Badminton Championships held in Gimcheon City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, to help the team win the mixed team title; in October of the same year, Obori color in the Women’s Singles Semi-finals of the World Junior Badminton Championships held in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, with 1-2 (21-17, 10-21, 15-21) defeated teammate Yamaguchi Xi, only the third place.
In April 2013, Sai Ohori made her debut for the national team at the Badminton Asia Championships in Taipei. She defeated Malaysia’s Lillian Ong and Chinese Taipei’s Chen Xiaohuan in the women’s singles qualifying round to advance, but was eliminated in the first round of the main draw by teammate Eriko Hirose, seeded 7th in the conference, 18-21, 10-21. Despite her early exit, her appearance attracted a lot of attention from local fans, and in addition to being arranged by her equipment sponsor to hold an autograph session at the Taipei Arena, she was also featured on the cover of the daily battle report issued by the organizers. In June of the same year, Obori played in the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Sabah, Malaysia, and won the women’s singles final, defeating top-seeded Bussanlan Embrupong of Thailand 2-1 (21-11, 16-21, 21-13).
In September 2013, she competed in the Russian Badminton Grand Prix, winning her first adult tournament title by sweeping the tournament’s No. 3 seed and host Ksenia Polikarpova 2-0 (21-5, 21-10) in the women’s singles final.
In October 2013, Sai Ohori represented Japan at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, winning the silver medal in the women’s singles at the World Junior Championships.
In October 2016, Sai Ohori played in the Thailand Badminton Golden Grand Prix, defeating the tournament’s No. 3 seed and Thailand’s top player’s Busanlan Embrupon 2-0 (25-23, 21-8) in the women’s singles final to win her first international Golden Grand Prix title.
In August 2017, represented the Japan national team at the Asian Games badminton tournament in Jakarta, Indonesia, following her teammates to win one of the Asian Games women’s team gold medal members.
The 2017 China Badminton Masters concluded in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, where Ohori Sai won the women’s singles title with a 2:1 victory over teammate Saeena Kawakami.
In February 2024, Ohori Sai was on the Badminton World Federation Tour podium again after seven years, following the 2017 China Masters, when she turned back host Geetong 2-1 in the women’s singles final of the Thailand Badminton Masters.
World Ranking – Women’s Singles 10, Week 31, 2024
Olympic Points – Women’s Singles 11, 64417 points
Finals Ranking – Women’s Singles 7, 52380 points
Equipment Used
ARCSABER 11 PRO; AC-102C; NANORAY Z SPEED Bright Orange; ARCSABER 11; NANOGY 95; NANOFLARE 700; NANORAY Z; SPEED Yellow; NANOSPEED 9900; SHB65Z3MEX; AERUS Z
Major Achievements
- 2024 Australian Badminton Open Women’s Singles Champion
- 2024 Uber Cup Women’s Team Third Place Member
- 2024 Badminton Asia Championships Women’s Team 3rd Runner-up
- 2024 Thailand Badminton Masters Women’s Singles Champion
- 2023 Said Modi Badminton International Women’s Singles Quarter-finalist
- 2023 French Open Badminton Women’s Singles Quarter-finalist
- 2022 Asian Games Badminton Women’s Singles Bronze Medalist
- 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games Badminton Women’s Team Third Place Member
- 2023 Australian Badminton Open Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
- 2022 All Japan Comprehensive Badminton Championships Women’s Singles Runner-up
- 2022 Singapore Open Badminton Championships Women’s Singles Quarter-finalist
- 2020 Uber Cup Women’s Badminton Team Championships Runner-up
- 2020 Asian Badminton Championships Women’s Team Champion
- 2020 Thailand Badminton Masters Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
- 2019 New Zealand Badminton Open Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
- 2019 Badminton Asia Championships Mixed Team Runner-up
- 2018 USA Badminton International Challenge Women’s Singles Champion
- 2018 Japan Badminton Open Women’s Singles Quarterfinals
- 2018 Asian Games Badminton Women’s Team Gold Medal
- 2018 USA Badminton Open Women’s Singles Quarterfinals
- 2018 Asian Badminton Championships Women’s Team Gold Medal
- 2017 USA Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Singles Champion
- 2017 China Badminton Masters Women’s Singles Champion
- 2017 Thailand Badminton Masters Women’s Singles Runner-up
- 2016 Thailand Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Singles Champion
- 2016 Japan Badminton Super Tournament Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
- 2016 Uber Cup Women’s Team 3rd Runner-up
- 2016 New Zealand Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Singles Runner-up
- 2015 New Zealand Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Singles Quarter-finals
- 2014 Vietnam Badminton Golden Grand Prix Women’s Singles Runner-up
- 2014 Russia Badminton Grand Prix Women’s Singles Champion
- 2014 World Junior Badminton Championships Mixed Team 3rd Runner-up
- 2014 World Junior Badminton Championships Women’s Singles 3rd Runner-up
- 2013 World Junior Badminton Championships Women’s Singles Runner-up
- 2013 Asian Junior Badminton Championships Women’s Singles Champion
- 2013 Asian Junior Badminton Championships Mixed Team Quarter-finals
- 2013 East Asian Games Badminton Women’s Singles Bronze Medalist
- 2013 East Asian Games Badminton Women’s Team Bronze Medal
- 2013 Russia Badminton Grand Prix Women’s Singles Champion
- 2012 World Junior Badminton Championships Women’s Singles Bronze Medal
- 2012 World Junior Badminton Championships Mixed Team Runner-up
- 2012 Asian Youth Badminton Championships Mixed Team Champion