‘Silver breath’ badminton sisters Lee So-hee and Paik Hana “thank” each other

Badminton sisters Lee So-hee (Incheon International Airport) and Baek Ha-na (MG Saemaul Bank), who shared a silver medal at the Asian Games less than a year after they started playing together, showed their friendship despite the disappointment.

“We wanted to win gold because we made it to the final,” Lee said after the women’s badminton doubles final at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at Binjiang Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China, on July 7. “We lost because we were caught while leading, so we have more regrets, but it feels good to have a good result.

Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na, the world No. 2 women’s doubles team, lost 0-2 (18-21 17-21) to Chen Qingcheng and Zhai Fan (China) in the final to take the silver medal.

The pair’s 2-0 victory over the Chinese pair in the team event on March 1 made the loss all the more disappointing for Lee and Baek Hana, who had been instrumental in South Korea’s victory.

“In the team event, I think we had a hard time playing a lot of rallies because the Chinese players didn’t have a good shuttle, so we were confident in that aspect, but I think our opponents were prepared for it today,” Baek Hana said, adding, “We made some mistakes, and I remembered some passive plays, so it was disappointing.”

“I thought that since we were in such a big tournament, we should try to win the double,” he said, adding, “It’s good and bad at the same time.”

Lee So-hee also said, “I wonder what would have happened if we had played a little more aggressively when we were ahead. I think I made some mistakes while playing defensively, which cost us a lot of points.”

Despite not being able to break through the barrier of the world’s No. 1 group, the duo soared to No. 2 in the world rankings with a number of achievements in international tournaments, including a runner-up finish at the Denmark Open last October when they teamed up for the first time, and confirmed their quality at the Asian Games.

“It’s a bit unfortunate that I finished second a lot, and I keep thinking about it, but I think I was able to come this far because my sister (Lee So-hee) did a good job,” Baek said.

In particular, she said, “She supports me to play my game and helps me a lot because she has a lot of experience. Even though we are six years apart, I am very grateful that she accepts my mischief,” she added.

Lee So-hee, who was sitting next to him, also thanked her sister.

“We’ve actually been together since the beginning of this year, so I didn’t think about it until the Asian Games, but Hana is doing all these crazy things, so I was able to play the last Asian Games and take home gold and silver. Thank you.”

“I’m grateful that Hana accepted me and followed me even though I was nagging her and being a bit mean,” he laughed.

The pair will meet again at the Paris Olympics in less than a year, and they won’t lose then.

“They are the No. 1 team in the world, and their skills are so top-notch that we have to surpass them to become the No. 1 team,” Lee said, adding, “If we prepare for the fast ball fight, we will have a chance to win.” 안전놀이터