Korean Badminton Team Eyes Historic Victory at 2026 Asian Championships Amidst Opponent Weaknesses
The Korean national badminton team is poised for a potential breakthrough at the 2026 Asian Men’s and Women’s Team Badminton Championships, with Chinese media outlets suggesting a rare opportunity for gold. The tournament, scheduled to begin March 3rd at the Qingdao Guoxin Gymnasium in China, arrives as key competitors from both China and Japan are strategically absent, creating a more favorable landscape for the Korean squad.
Korea has dispatched its strongest possible team – a contingent of 10 men and 10 women – to compete in the sixth iteration of the biennial championships, which first took place in Hyderabad, India, in 2016. The women’s team will be spearheaded by Ahn Se-young, the world’s No. 1 ranked player, alongside Kim Ga-eun, Lee So-hee, and Baek Hana. On the men’s side, Kim Won-ho and Choi Ji-hoon will lead the charge, though they will be without Seungjae Seo due to an injury.
The team departed from Incheon International Airport on March 1st under the guidance of coach Park Joo-bong, carrying with them a clear ambition: to secure Korea’s first-ever championship title. Historically, the nation has faced challenges in this competition. The men’s team has achieved a best result of bronze in 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2024, never reaching the finals. The women’s team has fared slightly better, claiming silver medals in 2020 and 2022.
“This tournament is a rare opportunity for Korea to break its long history of military non-existence,” a source within Chinese media commented, highlighting the unusual circumstances surrounding this year’s competition.
The key factor influencing this assessment is the strategic decision by China to exclude several of its top players. Notably absent from the women’s singles lineup are Wang Zhiyi (world No. 2), Chen Yufei (world No. 4), and Han Wei (world No. 5). Similarly, the world’s No. 1 men’s singles player will not be participating, and Japan is also competing with a less-than-full-strength roster. “This composition realistically increased Korea’s chances of winning,” according to reports from Sports Bongyun.
Despite these absences, China remains a formidable opponent. The team will feature Gao Fangjie (ranked 11th in the world) and Jaifan, a gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and four-time World Championship winner, who will partner with Zhang Shuxian in women’s doubles. Chinese media has characterized this pairing as an opportunity to “examine young players and experiment with combinations.”
The competition holds particular significance for Ahn Se-young, who enters the tournament on a wave of momentum after consecutive victories at the Malaysia Open and India Open in January 2026. “Unlike the individual competition, the team competition is a more difficult fight because a loss in one match can change the entire flow,” one analyst noted. This event represents a chance for Ahn Se-young to add a second team gold medal to her accolades, following her win at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Beyond the championship itself, a semifinal appearance would secure Korea’s participation in the prestigious Thomas Cup (men) and Uber Cup (women) in Aarhus, Denmark, this April. This adds another layer of importance to the tournament, making it a crucial event for both performance and future qualification.
Photo = Yonhap News, Ahn Se-young SNS
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