The words “PARIS 2024” and the five rings mark are emblazoned on the A-boards surrounding the badminton court.
The Korean athletes enter the court under the spotlight through the prepared entrance path. There is also a small press area (mix zone) at the back of the stadium.
This is not the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, which will host the badminton events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It’s Oryun Hall at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village in Chungcheongbuk-do.
The Korea Badminton Association held a special match at the Jincheon Athletes’ Village Oryun Hall on Friday after creating an Olympic atmosphere.
The idea was to help the athletes overcome psychological tension.
Dozens of reporters closely observed the players’ play, and 30 spectators cheered and sighed as they watched the match.
Ahn Se-young and Kim Ga-eun (Samsung Life Insurance), who are competing in the women’s singles at the Paris Olympics, played the first match of the Special Match.
The result was a 2-1 (19-21 21-11 21-12) victory for Ahn, but the tension in the room was such that it was hard to breathe.
Ahn was breathing heavily shortly after the start of the match, and she was also trying to make the most of the breaks.
Ahn went into the intermission with an 11-7 lead in game one, but Kim Ga-eun pulled within a point or two at 12-12.
Kim took a 21-point lead to take the lead for good.
At 19-19, Ahn ran forward to press Kim’s reception, but her attempt to hit the ball landed outside the endline, and then her smash was too weak and the shuttle caught in the net.
However, Ahn Se-young came back like a champion and took the next two or three games.
Once she was warmed up, Ahn unleashed a barrage of unforgiving attacks on Kim, and the second game ended 21-11.
In game three, Ahn wowed the crowd with her unselfish diving receptions.
At 20-11, she caught a shuttlecock that was falling on both sides of the court and then raced to the back of the court to defend it.
The rally ended with a smash from Kim Ga-eun, but Ahn scored the next point to end the match.
After the match, Ahn said, “It was a good opportunity for me to get a feel for the game, so I did my best.”
She also thanked her senior Kim Ga-eun, saying, “I may be a bad junior, but you motivate me a lot. I hope we can have a romantic time in Paris together.”
Kim, who recently injured her knee, said, “I haven’t played a game since April, but I think I’m improving (my physical condition) at a good pace. It was a match where I didn’t lose confidence.”
As for Ahn Se-young, she said, “She’s a junior, but she has a lot to learn from me. She’s doing well, so don’t think about her injury and keep playing like this.”
In the mixed doubles match, Seo Seung-jae (Samsung Life Insurance) and Chae Yoo-jung (Incheon International Airport) defeated Kim Young-hyuk (Suwon City Hall) and Jung Na-eun (Hwasun County Office) 2-1 (21-16 14-21 21-12).
It is Kim Won-ho (Samsung Life Insurance), not Kim Young-hyuk, who will be competing in the Olympics alongside Jung. “He sprained his ankle slightly, so he didn’t play to protect it,” an association official explained. 바카라사이트 추천