PETALING JAYA: South Korean shuttler An Se-young has credited her family’s support for her sensational rise in the women’s singles.
The 23-year-old Se-young is preparing to defend her gold in the World Championships starting today in Paris.
She has been untouchable in recent times, having captured the world title in the last edition in 2023 in Copenhagen and winning the Olympic Games gold last year.
Se-young acknowledges that her family had been her pillar.
“My parents have always supported me without holding anything back. Honestly, none of this can be taken for granted but they’ve done everything for me without a single complaint,” said Se-young in an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“Their support means so much to me and it’s also been a big source of motivation for me to work even harder.
“Knowing that they are cheering me on and I always have them on my side has been an incredible source of strength.”
Se-young fondly recalls celebrating with her parents after winning the Olympic title in Paris last August and hopes to have another memorable outing in the world meet which will be held at the same venue - the Adidas Arena.
The world No. 1 also won the French Open last year in the same stadium.
“I remember seeing my parents cheering for me when I won the Olympics in Paris and I celebrated while looking at them. That moment really stayed with me,” said Se-young.
“Of course every athlete aims to win. I have had some good memories in France, so I really hope I can carry those positive experiences into this World Championships and create even more happy moments here.”
Se-young’s main challengers for the title this time will be China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi and world No. 4 Chen Yufei.
