Chinese men’s singles player Hu Zhe’an defeated teammate Wang Zijun 21-15, 21-18 to win the 2024 World Junior Badminton Championship men’s singles title.
Q: How do you feel after winning the championship?
Hu Zhe’an: My mind went blank for a moment. I was thinking a lot before the match. Now that I won, it feels like all the pressure has been released.
Q: What were you thinking about?
Hu Zhe’an: I really wanted this title, so I was thinking about strategies and feeling a lot of pressure on myself.
Q: Your opponent caught up several times in the second game. What was going through your mind?
Hu Zhe’an: I had a lead at the start of the second game, but then I was 4 points behind midway. During that time, I had some negative thoughts, but fortunately, I quickly adjusted and didn’t give up, and I kept fighting to catch up.
Q: How do you feel about closing your junior career with this win?
Hu Zhe’an: I didn’t win last year, so I came here this year aiming for the gold. Achieving that goal makes me really happy. Now I’ll work hard and aim higher in the senior tournaments, taking every opportunity seriously.
Q: How do you reflect on your experience this time?
Hu Zhe’an: From the team competition to the individual matches, there wasn’t a need for much adjustment in terms of form. After the team events, the key was to approach the individual matches with a positive mindset.
