Tag: Aya Ohori

大堀彩

  • Aya Ohori to Retire by Year-End, Last Match Next Week

    Aya Ohori to Retire by Year-End, Last Match Next Week

    Today, badminton star Aya Ohori announced her retirement at the end of this year via her personal Instagram. The upcoming Kumamoto Masters, starting on November 12, will be her last international tournament in Japan.

    Aya Ohori’s Statement:

    “Hello everyone, I have an important announcement. I have decided to retire at the end of this year.

    My badminton career hasn’t always been smooth, but thanks to the support of so many wonderful friends, I have overcome numerous challenges.

    I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Tonami Transportation Badminton Club for their help over the years. My sincere gratitude goes to the Nippon Badminton Association, all my sponsors, my family, friends, and all supporters. Without you, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have today.

    Badminton has taught me a lot, and I’ve experienced many wonderful things through it. I truly love playing badminton, so deciding to retire was not easy. However, I can say that, with everyone’s support, my 22-year career has been filled with joy.

    Next week’s Kumamoto Masters will be my last international match in Japan. I’d be thrilled if you continue to cheer for me. Thank you so much for your warm support over the years.”

    Previous Reports:

    For the past two years, rumors have circulated about Aya Ohori and Malaysian men’s doubles player Ong Yew Sin being in a relationship.

    Both players recently participated in the 2024 Indonesia Badminton All-Star Invitational. Fans spotted two intriguing moments: first, as Ong Yew Sin interacted with a medal-winning player, a female player beside him pointed at Aya Ohori and whispered something to Ong Yew Sin, leading Aya Ohori to playfully touch Ong Yew Sin’s head. In another instance, Cheuk Yiu Lee, sitting beside Aya Ohori in the cheer section, smiled while pointing at Ong Yew Sin in the aisle and then at Aya Ohori, hinting at a relationship.

    There have been previous reports from insiders in the badminton community suggesting that Aya Ohori and Ong Yew Sin have been quietly dating for years. This event at the Indonesia All-Star added fuel to fan speculation.

    Standing at 169 cm, Aya Ohori first traveled to Malaysia in 2015 to participate in the Purple League. In an interview, she mentioned how warm and friendly Malaysians were, even telling her parents that she hoped to settle in Malaysia after retirement and marry a Malaysian.

    It seems possible that Aya Ohori and Ong Yew Sin have known each other for a long time.

    Later, Ong Yew Sin shared a photo on his Instagram featuring himself with Aya Ohori and Arisa Higashino. Fans noted that Ong Yew Sin and Aya Ohori‘s hands were unusually close.

    Today, a Malaysian social media account further fueled rumors by posting a photo of Ong Yew Sin and Aya Ohori allegedly wearing matching outfits while shopping, captioned: “An open secret, best wishes to you both.”

    In 2020, Ong Yew Sin and his partner Teo Ee Yi were dismissed from the Malaysian national team by the Badminton Association of Malaysia. However, their performance continued to improve, with a bronze at the 2021 World Championships. Despite this, they have not won a title since their victory at the 2020 Thailand Masters, with their best results this year being semifinal finishes at the German and China Opens.

    Aya Ohori, a late bloomer, became Japan’s second women’s singles player after Nozomi Okuhara struggled with injuries. Last year, she won a bronze medal in women’s singles at the Asian Games, and this year, she claimed gold at the Thailand Masters and Australia Open, as well as reaching the semi-finals at the Super 1000 China Open.

  • Aya Ohori Dating Malaysian Player Ong Yew Sin?

    Aya Ohori Dating Malaysian Player Ong Yew Sin?

    For the past two years, the badminton world has been buzzing with rumors about a romantic relationship between badminton star Aya Ohori and Malaysian men’s doubles player Ong Yew Sin.

    Both players recently participated in the 2024 Indonesia Badminton All-Star Invitational, where two specific interactions caught fans’ attention. In one instance, while Ong Yew Sin was interacting with the medalists, a nearby female player pointed at Aya Ohori and seemed to say something to Ong Yew Sin, who responded with a laugh as Aya Ohori playfully patted his head. In another moment, Cheuk Yiu Lee, who was seated next to Aya Ohori in the cheering section, looked toward the aisle where Ong Yew Sin was standing, pointed at Aya Ohori, and smiled knowingly.

    Previously, insiders in the badminton community hinted that Aya Ohori and Ong Yew Sin have been in a long-term secret relationship, with this recent interaction sparking more speculation among fans.

    Aya Ohori, who stands at 169 cm, first came to Malaysia in 2015 for the Purple League. During an interview, she mentioned how friendly Malaysians are, adding that she’d told her parents she’d like to settle in Malaysia and hopes to marry a Malaysian after her retirement.

    It seems possible that Aya Ohori and Ong Yew Sin have known each other for quite some time.

    Later, Ong Yew Sin even posted a photo on his Instagram with Aya Ohori and Arisa Higashino. Eagle-eyed fans noted that Aya Ohori and Ong Yew Sin were standing very close to each other, with their hands almost touching.

    Today, a Malaysian social media outlet even fueled the rumors by posting a picture of Ong Yew Sin and Aya Ohori allegedly wearing matching outfits while shopping, captioned with: “An open secret, best wishes to you both.”

    In 2020, Ong Yew Sin and his partner Teo Ee Yi were dropped from Malaysia’s national team by the Badminton Association of Malaysia. However, they achieved success soon after, winning bronze at the 2021 World Championships. But since their title win at the 2020 Thailand Masters, they’ve had a four-year title drought, with their best results this year being semifinal finishes at the German Open and China Open.

    Meanwhile, Aya Ohori has been blossoming in her career. With Nozomi Okuhara facing setbacks due to injury, Aya Ohori has taken on the role of Japan’s second women’s singles player. Last year, she won bronze in women’s singles at the Asian Games and has since claimed gold at the Thailand Masters and Australian Open this year, along with a semifinal appearance at the Super 1000 China Open.

    Best wishes to this potential “Condor Heroes” couple of the badminton world.

  • Chen Yufei Takes a Break but Returns to World No. 1 Next Week

    Chen Yufei Takes a Break but Returns to World No. 1 Next Week

    Chen Yufei was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles at the Paris Olympics, missing out on a consecutive title. After the match, she announced a temporary break and applied for world ranking protection. Next week, her ranking will surpass An Seyoung, marking her return to the world No. 1 position since March 10, 2020.

    The top two women’s singles players have both been absent from competitions for an extended period after the Paris Olympics. Chen Yufei has taken a break from the court, while An Seyoung, following her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics, has suspended her participation due to injury concerns. Their rankings will switch next week, with An Seyoung losing 5,580 points, dropping her world total to 100,337 points, while Chen Yufei will lose 1,800 points, reaching 101,682 points to reclaim the top spot. The third and fourth places are held by Wang Zhiyi from China, Spain’s Carolina Marin, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, China’s Han Yue, Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Japan’s Aya Ohori, and American-born Zhang Beiwen.

    After Chen Yufei‘s return to the world No. 1 position, the Chinese badminton team holds the top ranking in all five events, with Shi Yuqi firmly seated as the king of men’s singles, Liang Weikang/Wang Chang leading men’s doubles, and Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan and Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong holding the top spots in women’s doubles and mixed doubles, respectively.

  • Aya Ohori

    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