What do you call a player, who despite not being fully fit, ends up winning tournaments, remains at the top of the world rankings, and is also tipped to bag a medal at the Olympics? Well, the world calls her An Se Young, and the South Korean has been, by a fair distance, the best women’s singles badminton player in the world for over a year now. But her coach Sung Ji Hyun wants her to lose here and there as well in the lead up to Olympics 2024.
The 21-year-old suffered a knee injury during the Asian Games last year, and yet ended up clinching the Malaysia Open last week, after beating Tai Tzu Ying in the final. On Wednesday, after beating Ratchanok Intanon in three games at the India Open, Young clarified, she was only operating at 70%, which only makes one wonder, what this girl is capable of achieving, if fully fit.
“For now, my leg is not fully recovered, but I am practising more and more and playing well, believing that it will heal in the coming days. I am not 100% fit, but 60-70% recovered,” Young said after her match. Even her coach Sung Ji Hyun, looked nonchalant, be it her first win of 2024, or a tournament victory, that her ward is so used to doing.
The Best, Despite Injury Concerns
That’s also got to do with the fact, that Hyun, a former World No. 2, has been there and done that. So it doesn’t really come as a surprise to the either of them. It’ all about repeating the process day in, and day out.
“She won the Malaysia Open last week, and she has won her first match here at the India Open. So it was important to get he first win of the year here,” Sung told InsideSport in an exclusive interaction.
“I think, to beat Intanon will give her a lot of confidence, since she has not fully recovered, but she tried her best.”
Sung minced no words in saying that her role with Young is more that of a guide and a mentor, who the player can talk to freely. And that is how her ward really thrives.
“She feels more comfortable around me, technique and skill wise, I’m not sure if I can add much to player of her caliber. So for me, it’s imperative to keep speaking with her about various aspects of her game.”
Another important aspect that Sung highlighted was, planning for Young, where the former feels, it’s futile to think about the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Cliched Coach’s Talks
No matter how cliched it may sound, the coach stuck to her answer, and said, “Planning is very important aspect of my role with Young. We don’t really plan for tournament, but we plan for smaller things like building her stamina, improve he fitness. We don’t want her to rush with anything. Just little steps will take her to her goals,” a typical coach in Sung added.
Sung the coach, happens to be from the school of thought, where she feels Young should have an experience of losing too. Somehow, always winning doesn’t help, and a loss here and there, can affect the morale of the player. She revealed, that Young was pleased about losing early at the Japan Open, China Open & the BWF World Tour Finals, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.
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Losing is as Important
“She was sad because she lost out matches due to her injury. She had relatively tough time at the Japan and China Opens, but I think she ought to have experiences like these. I think the next time she’ll be better prepared, if something like this happens. It’s okay. I think she will get well.”
Before stepping away for a recovery session for Young, Sung also revealed the players who her ward thinks are tough opponents. In doing so, she might have just revealed the players, who she thinks could make it count at the Olympics. “Young feels Chen Yufei, Akane Yamaguchi & Tai Tzu Ying are very tough.”
