"Not an Athlete or Celebrity" Injured Fighter An Se-young Rejects All Ads and Broadcasts

Badminton Team & Women's Singles Double Champion
"Many Proposals Appreciated, But There Is a Goal to Reach"

At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, badminton national representative An Se-young (21, Samsung Life), who overcame knee pain with a 'fighting spirit despite injury' to become a two-time champion, expressed her determination to faithfully fulfill her role as an athlete.

On the 13th, An Se-young wrote on social media (SNS), "After the Asian Games, I am experiencing a whole new world thanks to the support and encouragement from so many people," and added, "I apologize for not being able to reply to each and every one of you." She continued, "Since finishing well this time, I have received many offers for TV appearances, interviews, and advertisements. I am just grateful."

In the women's singles badminton final at the Hangzhou Asian Games, South Korea's An Se-young celebrates her victory over China's Chen Yufei.
Photo by Yonhap News

She emphasized, "The An Se-young you know is just an ordinary athlete yesterday, today, and tomorrow," and added, "I am not a special celebrity because of one medal, but an athlete like many others who quietly overcomes each day and runs toward their goals."

An Se-young won two gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games in the women's team event and the women's singles event. In particular, her victory in the women's singles was the second for a Korean player and a remarkable achievement after 29 years since Bang Soo-hyun at the 1994 Hiroshima Games.

On the 7th, during the women's singles final, An Se-young complained of knee pain while playing against world No. 3 Chen Yufei (China). Despite collapsing from knee pain near the end of the first game in the final, she showed fighting spirit and secured the victory.

Afterwards, An Se-young, who received high attention, confessed to feeling the pressure. She said, "Everyone is curious about my news and everything about me, and I wish I could be with you all the time, but I only have one body and my heart is still fragile, so it is sometimes difficult to do all this," adding, "You might think I am arrogant, but I have goals to reach in the future, so I plan to quietly take one step at a time."

She also said, "I apologize for not being able to respond to everyone's support individually," but asked, "Please cheer for the era of An Se-young who will steadily walk toward another goal and achieve her dreams." She added, "If anyone wants to see me, please wait a little longer so I can become stronger and show you on the court."

An Se-young of Korea won the gold medal in the women's singles badminton final at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

After returning home on the 8th, An Se-young was diagnosed with a torn knee ligament following an MRI examination. The diagnosis requires 2 to 5 weeks of rehabilitation. As a result, her participation in the 104th National Sports Festival held in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, as well as the Denmark Open on the 17th and the France Open starting on the 24th of this month, has become uncertain. She is expected to focus on rehabilitation and training with the goal of the Paris Olympics next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.