Tag: Star Power News

Korean Badminton Head Criticizes An Se-young
After winning the Paris Olympics this year, An Se-young shared her dissatisfaction with the Korean Badminton Association and mentioned bullying from senior players. Her relationship with the national team was tense, even though she ultimately triumphed. However, this issue seems far from over.
At the 2024 Denmark Open last week, An Se-young displayed a nonchalant attitude about the match results. During a break, she noticeably ignored her coach, Sung Ji-hyun, turning her back to him even when drinking water, completely disregarding his presence.
This greatly irritated Kim Choong-yui, the Korean Badminton Association President. On October 22, during a National Assembly inspection, Kim Choong-yui openly criticized An Se-young for her arrogance and disrespect toward the coaching team.
Kim described An Se-young as a “misbehaved, self-centered sports star” and mentioned her reluctance to greet anyone, including himself, even at the Denmark Open.
However, this sparked backlash from National Assembly members. Representative Yang called Jincheon National Training Center director Jang Jae-geun to testify. Yang questioned Jang about An Se-young’s alleged disrespect, to which Jang replied, “When did such incidents happen?”
Representative Yang further challenged Kim: “Despite An Se-young’s global ranking, she lacks Korean national team support. You should help her succeed, but instead, you criticize her character. Does that satisfy you?”
Another representative, Min, remarked, “An Se-young is extremely cautious, fearing any request might appear selfish. How can you, as President, make such statements? Apologize to her.”
Under continued criticism, President Kim expressed he would consider resigning and apologize to An Se-young: “I will apologize to An Se-young.”
An Se Young
October 26, 2024
The “Final Dance” of the Watanabe-Higashino Pair: Aiming for Victory
On August 22, at the 2024 Japan Badminton Open, Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino won 21-11, 21-15 against Taipei’s Yeh Hong-wei and Chien Yu-chin, advancing to the quarterfinals and coming closer to their goal of winning the championship.
This week’s Japan Open marks the “Final Dance” for Watanabe and Higashino. The pair recently announced that they will part ways after this tournament. Following the Japan Open, Watanabe will form a new mixed doubles pair with 18-year-old Taguchi Masaki, while Higashino will shift to women’s doubles, teaming up with 29-year-old Sakuramoto Ayako.
今天夺冠后，渡边表示：“日本公开赛是我们一起参加的最后一场比赛。观众人数一天天在增加，欢呼声也越来越大。有了大家的支持，我会变得更强。”
The pair hope to end their partnership with a gold medal. Yuta Watanabe expressed that, although he is physically exhausted, he wants to persevere until the end and win the final match.
August 24, 2024
Korean badminton star Kim Hae-na praised Chiharu Shida’s beauty.
Chiharu Shida, renowned among badminton fans for her beauty and recent Olympic bronze medal, has recently updated her social media.
Korean badminton star Kim Hae-na commented on Shida’s post, saying she is “so beautiful.”
Kim Hae-na
Kim Hae-na and Ko Sung-hyun reached the highest world ranking of number one as a pair. In June 2018, Kim Hae-na announced her retirement. Later that year, she married her boyfriend, Lu Yi-xu (phonetic), and in 2023, they welcomed a child.
August 24, 2024
Watanabe and Higashino End 13-Year Partnership! The Two Exchanged Handshakes and Apologies After the Match
In their final match, Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino were defeated 9-21, 17-21 by Taipei’s Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang, thus ending their run in the mixed doubles quarterfinals at the 2024 Japan Badminton Open. The decision to end their partnership has become final.
In a televised interview, Yuta Watanabe expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am very happy to have been able to play badminton for so many years. The support from fans has given me great strength, and thanks to everyone’s support, I have achieved good results. Our careers will continue, and if we can continue to receive support, I would be very honored. I have created a lot of history and extended my career, and both of us believe we can become even stronger. The experience we gained from our matches will undoubtedly help us continue on our paths. I hope to reflect on this when our careers come to an end.”
东野有纱表示：“我真的不敢相信今天的比赛会这样结束。如果没有勇太，我不可能走到今天，所以我对他只有感激。我们在决赛中没有取得想要的结果，我感到非常失望。”
Yuta Watanabe, a talented player in recent years despite his height of only 165 cm, has stood out among the taller and more agile doubles players. He initially gained fame in men’s singles but switched to doubles due to a lack of attacking power. He and Arisa Higashino, who have been pairing since their middle school days, have been partners for over 13 years, winning bronze medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Watanabe also partnered with veteran Endo Hiroyuki, forming a notable men’s doubles pair that once ranked in the world’s top five. However, this partnership ended with Endo’s retirement in 2021.
Watanabe and Higashino’s friendship has been very deep, with some Japanese media speculating they might become a couple. However, Watanabe surprised Higashino by announcing his marriage after this year’s Olympics.
渡边对东野表示感谢，“我们能坚持这么久，是因为团队合作非常出色。虽然竞技体育的痛苦让人难以承受，但我相信，相互支持是获得胜利喜悦的必要条件。”
After the match, Watanabe and Higashino shook hands amicably.
During their final handshake, Arisa Higashino said, “I’m sorry,” to which Yuta Watanabe responded, “So am I.”
Over the past decade, Japanese badminton has made significant progress under the leadership of Korean star Park Joo-bong. However, Japan has traditionally not placed much emphasis on the development of mixed doubles players, making the achievements of the Watanabe-Higashino pair particularly remarkable.
After the Japan Open, the two will go their separate ways. Yuta Watanabe will partner with an 18-year-old rising star, while Arisa Higashino will focus on women’s doubles with her new partner.
August 24, 2024
Matsuyama’s Stomach Pain Leads to the Quarterfinal Exit of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida
On August 23, at the quarterfinals of the 2024 Japan Badminton Open, Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida were defeated 1-2 (25-23, 19-21, 18-21) by their teammates Rin Ikeda and Kayo Nakanishi, ending their run in the top eight.
Chiharu Shida commented, “Although we played well in the first and second games, some mistakes prevented us from recovering. By the third game, we were struggling physically.”
Japanese media attributed this to the physical and mental fatigue accumulated since the Paris Olympics. Matsuyama experienced stomach pain after the match and even had to stop the interview due to her discomfort.
Although disappointed not to win at home, Shida acknowledged, “We did everything we could, but more people have come to understand us since the Olympics. I will rest well and show everyone my growth at the next tournament in Japan.”
Shida plans to participate in the Korea Open, which begins on August 27.
August 24, 2024
Jia Yifan and new partner Li Wenmei advanced to the semi-finals of the Japan Open in their debut
When asked if she misses Chen Qingchen, Jia Yifan smiled and said, “I message her every day.”
Chen Qingchen is Jia Yifan’s women’s doubles partner, and they have been playing together for ten years. Just two weeks ago, they won an Olympic gold medal together.
At the first BWF World Tour event after the 2024 Paris Olympics, Jia Yifan, paired with her new partner Li Wenmei, advanced to the semifinals of the Japan Open.
Jia Yifan stated, “We are starting from zero. After the Olympics, Li Wenmei and I didn’t have much time to practice, so we haven’t tried anything new. We just want to see how we can best work together. Now, our goal is to give our all and enjoy every match.”
At this Japan Open, Indonesian pairs Karnando/Maulana and Fikri/Martin have also formed new teams and have both reached the semifinals. Karnando has set his sights on the next Olympics.
“Although it might be a bit early to discuss, our goal is to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This time, we hope to give our best and win this tournament,” Karnando said.
“We’re satisfied with our performance so far. I’ve teamed up with Fikri for six years, and now I’m just starting with Karnando, so it feels fresh. This is also a good way for us to keep moving forward,” said Maulana.
August 24, 2024