2014 Badminton Asia Championships Finals Report

2014-04-28

Motivated by the SEWOL ferry tragedy, the Korea takes two golds, two silvers and one bronze
Korea players wore yellows ribbons on court at this week’s 2014 Badminton Asia Championships held at Gimcheon in the Korea, to show their thoughts were with the victims in the Sewol ferry tragedy. The sobering effect of the disaster left them more focused and even more determined than ever to win. In the end, with two golds, two silvers and a bronze, the Korea emerged with China as the bigger winner at the tournament.
 
 
Yoo Yeon Seong/ Shin Baek Cheol
Korea players Yoo Youn SeongShin Baek Choel wore yellow ribbons
 
Sung Ji Hyun and Yoo Youn SeongShin Baek Choel won golds for the Korea in the women’s singles and men’s doubles respectively. China’s badminton legend Lin Dan lived up expectations and took the men’s singles gold;sisters Luo Ying/Luo Yu of China caused an upset by winning the women’s doubles.
 
Ashwini Ponnappa
 
One focus of attention on and off court was Ashwini Ponnappa, a beautiful young Indian woman. Due to a dispute between her partner Jwala Gutta and the Indian Badminton Association her partner was barred from playing in competitions for a time, leaving her without a partner to play with. At this tournament they knocked out more fancied opponents on their way to taking the bronze, a feat that is sure to have made them forget their recent frustrations.
 
Sung Ji Hyun
2014 women’s singles winner Sung Ji Hyun (Korea)
 
The Korea’s Sung Ji Hyun was the fourth seed in the women’s singles. Her quarter final match was the toughest and most dangerous she faced in the whole tournament and she only beat Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying in the deciding game by a whisker. In the semi-final and final she had an easier ride, taking both in straight games. In the final, she faced China’s world ranked No. 2 Wang Shi Xian. Sung played with composure and great shot accuracy throughout, taking the match 21-19,21-15 and claiming the women’s singles gold for the Korea.
 
In the men’s doubles final, the Korea’s experienced Yoo Youn SeongShin Baek Choel played China’s 18-year old pair Li Jun Hui/Liu Yu Chen. The Chinese pair may be young but they are formidable on court. Liu is actually the son of the coach of the Beijing Women’s Badminton Team and the pair also took the men’s doubles titles at last year’s Badminton Asia Youth Championships and Badminton World Youth Championships, and also won their first title in a professional tournament by winning at the India Grand Prix Gold earlier this year. However, facing up to the old hand YooShin, although they put up a decent showing they still lost 20-22,17-21, leaving YooShin to take the gold for the Korea.
 
The Badminton Asia Championships is now over. We can now look forward to the Asian Games at the end of this year in Inchon, the Korea. We can expect top players from across Asia to compete at the games, including Chinese Taipei’s Lee Sheng MuTsai Chia Hsin, “Indonesian Lightning” AhmadNatsir and highly popular Lee Yong Dae and Kim Ki Jung of the Korea who all  didn’t play in the Badminton Asia Championships, doing their best to win glory for themselves and their countries.
 
Game results of  Badminton Asia Championships 2014
  Event WINNER Score RUNNER-UP  
  XD
Lee Chun Hei [3] 
Chau Hoi Wah 
13-21、21-15、21-15  
  WD Luo Ying 
Luo Yu 
21-18、21-18  Kim Ha Na [2]
 Jung Kyung Eun
 
  MS Lin Dan  14-21、21-9、21-15  Sasaki Sho  
  WS Sung Ji Hyun [4]  21-19、21-15  Wang Shixian [1]  
  MD Shin Baek Choel 
Yoo Yeon Seong 
22-20、21-17  Junhui Li
 Yuchen Liu
 
 
 
( Edit by VICTOR Badminton )