Incheon: Having secured their first world badminton title, the women's doubles team of Lee So-hee and Baek Hana express high confidence as they gear up for the upcoming Asian Games.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the duo achieved a significant victory by defeating the top-seeded Chinese team of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning with scores of 21-15, 21-15 at the world championships held in New Delhi. This triumph marks South Korea's first world title in women's doubles since 1995.
Lee So-hee, aged 32, had previously earned a bronze and a silver at world championships with a different partner, Shin Seung-chan, before achieving a complete medal collection with the gold alongside Baek. "I only dreamed about winning a world title and it means so much to have it come true," Lee expressed to reporters at Incheon International Airport. She credited her partner, Baek, for helping her realize this dream at the age of 32.
Baek Hana, 25, who won her first world championship medal, expressed gratitude towards Lee, saying, "I had no medal from world championships and I finally got one thanks to So-hee."
Prior to the competition, Lee and Baek were not considered favorites for the gold medal as they had not won any international event this season and had lost their five previous encounters against the Liu-Tan duo. However, their victory over the formidable Chinese team serves as a significant confidence booster as they prepare for the Asian Games starting on September 19 in Japan.
Lee remarked, "Because we were able to beat them in the world championships final, we saw hope that we can do the same against them at the Asian Games." Baek added, "We finally ended our losing streak against them and I think we will be able to go into our next meeting against them with more confidence."
During the final match, despite their previous losses to Liu and Tan, Lee and Baek demonstrated dominance. They initially secured the first five points of the first game and maintained the lead without trailing. In the second game, they broke away from a 4-4 tie to establish a 10-5 lead. After the Chinese team narrowed the gap to 13-12, the South Koreans scored five consecutive points to extend their lead, ultimately clinching the gold medal in 51 minutes.
Lee praised Baek's net play, stating, "Hana was great with her net play. It made us easy to score points." Baek, in turn, deferred credit to Lee, highlighting her offensive prowess: "She is a tremendous offensive player and I wanted to create chances for her. She was incredible and I was just trying to hold up my end of the bargain."