From October 31 to November 3, Indonesia will host the All-Star Badminton Invitational, gathering elite players from countries such as Korea, Thailand, Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and more.
Participants:
Korea: Seo Seung Jae, Lee Yong Dae
Thailand: Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Ratchanok Intanon
Denmark: Viktor Axelsen, Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Mathias Christiansen
Hong Kong: Lee Cheuk Yiu, Tang Chun Man, Tse Ying Suet
Indonesia: Hendra Setiawan, Greysia Polii, Fajar Alfian, Gideon Markus Fernaldi
Malaysia: Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei, Nur Izzuddin, Chan Peng Soon, Toh Ee Wei
Japan: Kodai Naraoka, Aya Ohori, Yuta Watanabe, Nozomi Okuhara, Misaki Matsutomo
Men’s doubles players Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (pictured) will make their debut as an independent pairing tomorrow at the Hong Kong Open, facing a tough challenge ahead.
With world No. 3 pairing Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik absent, world No. 12 Goh and Izzuddin will be Malaysia’s highest-ranked men’s doubles duo in the competition, but their path is fraught with obstacles as they are placed in the top half of the draw.
They could potentially face Indonesia’s Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana in the second round, while South Korea’s world champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, and Denmark’s world No. 2 Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, could await them in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Before that, Goh-Izzuddin face a tricky opening match against Taiwan’s world No. 26 duo Lee Fang-Chih and Lee Fang-Jen.
Last month, the Taiwanese pair defeated China’s world No. 7 pair He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu in the first round of the Japan Open, proving they are no pushovers. Goh-Izzuddin, meanwhile, have had a hectic few weeks, winning their biggest title to date at the Super 750 Japan Open and subsequently leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to sign a sponsorship deal with Victor.
The pair are adjusting to their new identity as professional players and hope to make a strong impression in Hong Kong.
A solid performance in Hong Kong could propel Goh-Izzuddin into the world’s top 10.
Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong defied the odds to capture the Women’s Doubles title at the Korea Open 2024, held at the Mokpo Indoor Stadium in Seoul. The sixth-seeded pair, who have risen from a world No. 3 ranking in 2022 to their current No. 20 spot, delivered a stellar performance in front of their home crowd.
In the final, Na-eun and Hye-jeong faced off against the fourth-seeded Malaysian duo, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah. Despite Tan and Thinaah’s impressive run, which included a semifinal victory over the top-seeded Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, they struggled in the final. Jeong and Kim clinched victory with a decisive 12-21, 11-21 scoreline, marking their second Korea Open title and their fourth BWF World Tour win.
Korea’s Mixed Results in Other Categories
Korea’s success continued with a Women’s Singles title, though it came via a walkover. Seventh-seeded Kim Ga-eun did not need to break a sweat as second-seeded Wang Zhi Yi from China withdrew, awarding Kim the title without a match.
However, Korea’s bid for a third title fell short in the Men’s Doubles. Top-seeded Kang Min-yuk and Seo Seung-jae were outplayed by Indonesia’s seventh-seeded duo, Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana. Despite losing the first set 8-21, Carnando and Maulana mounted a remarkable comeback to win the next two sets 21-9, 21-8, securing their first BWF World Tour title of the year.
Malaysian Victory in Mixed Doubles
In the Mixed Doubles final, Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and To Ee Wei held their ground against unranked opponents Guo Xin Wa and Li Qian from China. The fourth-seeded Malaysians displayed remarkable composure in a grueling match that lasted nearly an hour. They emerged victorious with a 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 win, marking their first BWF World Tour title of the year and their third overall.
China Secures Men’s Singles Title
Despite the mixed results, China claimed a title at the Korea Open with Lu Guang Zu winning the Men’s Singles crown. The seventh-seeded Lu, currently ranked No. 13 in the world, overcame a tough challenge from Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-hao with a 21-16, 20-22, 21-18 victory in a 68-minute battle, earning his first title of the year.
A year ago, Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yu Jung reached the pinnacle of their careers, winning the World Championships title. Additionally, Seo Seung Jae claimed a second gold medal in the men’s doubles with partner Kang Min Hyuk.
On Friday, the Korean World Champions felt the agony of exiting the Olympics without a medal as they lost the bronze medal match to Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino.
While Seo tried to stay brave, Chae couldn’t hold back her tears, struggling to accept that this was her and her partner’s final match together.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed with the result,” said the senior partner, Chae, who took responsibility for the loss. “We weren’t in our best condition before the match, but I believe athletes need to cope with that, so it’s not an excuse. This was my last match with Seung Jae, and I wanted to achieve a good result, so it’s disappointing for me. I feel very sad because it’s my last match. I wanted to lead because I’m older and more experienced, but I think I didn’t fulfill my role, and I’m sad about that.”
The World Champions were unexpectedly defeated in the semifinals by a pair they had never lost to in five previous matches — their young compatriots, Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun. The 77-minute loss took a significant physical and mental toll, as the World Champions struggled to maintain their footing in the bronze medal match.
“It’s hard to say we weren’t affected by the previous match because it was a tough game, but we gave it our all, so in that sense, we’re satisfied with our performance and the energy we showed,” Seo Hyun Hee said.
“We didn’t carry the disappointment of the semifinals into the last match; we just tried to focus on playing each point well. Obviously, we were tired, but we still tried to play each point well.
“We gave everything; I did my best, so I’m satisfied with my effort.”
Kim Won-ho’s family will be adding another medal to their illustrious collection.
28 years after Gil Young-ah completed her set of Olympic medals, her son Kim Won-ho is set to ensure that the family collection grows. The only question is: what color will the medal be?
Gil Young-ah is one of only three badminton players to have won a complete set of medals. She earned a bronze in women’s doubles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a gold in mixed doubles, and a silver in women’s doubles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Her son Kim Won-ho, partnered with Jeong Na-eun in mixed doubles, is making his Olympic debut. He chose the perfect occasion to reach the most important final of his career. In the semifinals, the unseeded pair faced their compatriots and world champions Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung, winning a thrilling match 21-16, 20-22, 23-21.
Kim Won-ho has been aware of his mother’s heroic performances on the court since he was a child, and he knows how significant his achievement is:
“Ever since I saw her win the gold medal as a child, I’ve dreamed of the Olympics, always imagining what it would feel like if it actually happened. But I never thought it would really come true. Now that it has happened, I will accept it wholeheartedly and face my final challenge without any regrets.”
Did he seek any advice from her during the Olympics?
“First, she told me that the Olympics are a gift from heaven. She said, ‘You have done your best, so you just need to accept that fact.’
“When I call her, I tell her, ‘From now on, I am no longer Gil Young-ah’s son; instead, you will be known as Kim Won-ho’s mother.’”
Standing on the other side of the net in the final is another pair aiming to extend their own legendary status—Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, three-time world champions and Olympic silver medalists, now just one match away from the only major title that has eluded them.
They issued an ominous warning to their final opponents.
“We have a strong will and have prepared thoroughly,” said Zheng after the Chinese pair defeated Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 21-14, 21-15. “We are very satisfied with our performance today. From start to finish, we never lost focus.”
“This final is just the beginning for us. Our goal is the gold medal. We failed last time, so we are well-prepared this time. Tomorrow is the real start for us.”
Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino dramatically turned the tide, dealing a devastating blow to Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, advancing to the mixed doubles semifinals of the 2024 Paris Open.
The Japanese pair repeated their Tokyo Olympics performance at the same stage, but the pattern of the match was entirely different. The Thai duo had a strong momentum and a clear lead, but Watanabe and Higashino gradually closed the gap. After they took the lead and won the first game, the Thai pair’s challenge suddenly collapsed with a score of 23-21, 21-14.
“I’m very happy, but I want to achieve even better results,” Watanabe said. “Three years ago (at the Olympics), we lost in the semifinals, so we want to perform better this time.”
The fourth seeds will face top seeds Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, who moved one step closer to the only major title they have yet to win. Zheng and Huang defeated compatriots Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping with a score of 21-16, 21-15.
“Even though it was a quarterfinal, the intensity of the match was like a final,” Zheng said. “We lost to Dongping at the last Olympics; she knows how to play at the Olympics, so we did a lot of preparation. We knew today’s match would be tough, so we’re very happy to have won this game.”
In the lower half of the draw, World Champions Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yoo-jung easily defeated Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet. They will next face compatriots Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun, who shattered Malaysia’s hopes by defeating Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei with a score of 21-19, 21-14.
Seo Seung Jae (Korean: 서승재, September 4, 1997) is a South Korean male badminton player.
In July 2013, Seo Seung-jae represented South Korea at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, winning the mixed team gold medal. In October of the same year, Seo Seung-jae represented South Korea at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, winning the mixed team title and third place in the men’s doubles event.
In June 2015, Seo Seung-jae represented Korea at the Asian Junior Badminton Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, winning silver in the mixed team and silver in the men’s singles event.
In late June and early July 2017, Seo Seung-jae partnered with Kim Won-ho and Kim Ha-na to play in the Chinese Taipei Badminton Open. In the final, they took down Wang Qilin/Li Jiaxin of Chinese Taipei, seeded 3rd in the tournament, in straight sets 2-0 (22-20, 21-10) to win their first gold tournament title.
In 2018, Seo Seung-Jae partnered with Choi Eui-Dong to play in the Australian Open Badminton Championships. In the mixed doubles final, facing the tournament’s No. 7 seed and Olympic runners-up Malaysian duo Tan Beng Soon / Goh Liu Ying, they performed well, thwarting their opponents 2-0 (21-12, 23-21), and the pair won their first title.
On November 17, 2019, in the men’s doubles final of the 2019 BWF Super 500 Hong Kong Badminton Open in China, Choi Rate-kyu/Seo Seung-jae won their first career Super 500 men’s doubles title after upsetting No. 2 seeds Asan/Setiawan 2-1 on aggregate.
In August 2023, Seo Seung-Jae teamed up with Choi Eui-Dong to win the World Badminton Championships, defeating Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong in the Mixed Doubles final 21-17,11-21,21-18 and partnering Kang Min-Hyuk to win the Men’s Doubles title, defeating the Danish duo of Anders/Astrup 14-21,21-15,21-17.
In September 2023, Seo Seung-Jae partnered Choi Eui-Dong to win his first career 1000 mixed doubles title with a 21-19,21-12 win over French pair Gikel/Del Rue in the final.
World Ranking – Men’s Doubles 4, Week 29, 2024
Olympic Points – Men’s Doubles 2, 97261 points
Finals Ranking – Men’s Doubles 15, 39150 points
Equipment Used
BG-80; AC-102C; NANOFLARE 1000Z; 75TH 65Z2; NANOFLARE 700; SHB65Z2MEX; BRAVE SWORD 11; SHB65Z3 NEW COLORS; SHB65Z3MEX; JETSPEED S 11
Major Achievements
Singapore Open Badminton Championships 2024 Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals
2024 Asian Badminton Championships Mixed Doubles Runner-up
2024 France Open Men’s Doubles quarter-finals
2024 France Open Mixed Doubles Runner-up
2024 Asian Badminton Championships Men’s Team 3rd Runner-up
2024 India Open Men’s Doubles Champion
2024 Malaysia Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2023 Badminton World Finals Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 Badminton World Finals Mixed Doubles quarter-finals
2023 China Shenzhen Badminton Masters Mixed Doubles Runner-up
2023 Kumamoto Badminton Masters Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals, Japan
