Shall we recreate the ‘glory of the Gold Coast’ six years ago… Challenge to win the Korean badminton ‘Sudirman Cup’
The Korean badminton team, led by coach Kim Hak-kyun (52), challenges to win the 2023 BWF (World Badminton Federation) Sudirman Cup.
The Sudirman Cup is the World Mixed Team Badminton Championships, and the 18th tournament will be held from the 14th to the 21st at the Olympic Sports Center in Suzhou, China. Mixed doubles → men’s singles → women’s singles → men’s doubles → women’s doubles
In Korea, Ahn Se-young (21, Samsung Life Insurance), world No. Lee So-hee (29, Incheon International Airport) – Baek Ha-na (23, MG Saemaul Geumgo), men’s doubles Choi Sol-gyu (28, Armed Forces Athletic Corps) – Kim Won-ho (24, Samsung Life Insurance), Seo Seung-jae (26, Armed Forces Athletic Corps) – Kang Min-hyeok (24, Samsung Life Insurance), etc. are all out.
At the 15th tournament held in Gold Coast토스카지노, Australia in 2017, Korea won the top spot for the 4th time (previously winning the 2nd, 3rd, and 8th tournaments) under the direction of coach Kang Kyung-jin. I was thrilled because it was the Sudirman Cup that stopped the world’s strongest China from losing seven consecutive times in the final.
Afterwards, Korea only made it to the quarterfinals in the 16th tournament (Nanning, China), and was satisfied with third place in the 17th tournament (Vantaa, Finland), behind China and Japan. This is the first challenge in 6 years.
Head coach Kim Hak-gyun said in a phone call with Sports Seoul on the 13th, “The power of 7 to 8 teams from China and Japan, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia and India, is not easy. I will do my best to get good grades.”
In this tournament, 16 teams that have gone through regional qualifiers by continent will participate, and Korea was placed in Group D with Japan, France and England. 1st and 2nd place in each group advances to the quarterfinals.
Korea has to take first place in the group to avoid strong players in the quarter-final tournament, but Park Joo-bong’s Japan in the group stage is a burdensome opponent.
Champions China PR are in Group A along with Denmark, Singapore and Egypt. Indonesia, Thailand, Germany, Canada are in Group B, and Malaysia, Taiwan, India and Australia are in Group C.
Korea will play the first group match against France at 11:00 am (Korean time) on the 14th. Then, on the 15th at 6:00 pm England and the second game, and on the 17th at 6:00 pm Japan and the third game.