https://www.scmp.com/rss/523314/feed The latest news and top stories on An Se-young, a South Korean professional badminton player and the reigning world champion with her 2023 win in the World Championship and gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. An made history as the first Korean woman to achieve both these singles titles. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ada Li Ada Li Badminton bosses say they have changed the sport’s scoring system with an eye on attracting the younger generation with more exciting matches, and older players believe it could prolong their careers. From the start of next year, the sport will revert to a variation of the 15-point system that was first used in the 19th century, ending two decades of the first to 21 winning a game. Not everyone, however, is convinced that going back to the future is the best thing for the sport. Retired... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3351584/players-split-over-badminton-rule-change-some-believe-it-could-prolong-their-careers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3351584/players-split-over-badminton-rule-change-some-believe-it-could-prolong-their-careers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang China’s Wang Zhiyi said her resilience had been key to beating world No 1 An Se-young to secure her first All England Open Badminton Championships title, ending a 10-match losing streak against her South Korean rival. Wang won 21-15, 21-19 on Sunday to claim her 12th BWF World Tour singles title. The victory marks the first time in seven years a Chinese player has won the women’s singles crown in Birmingham. “I am super excited. I feel like a dream comes true,” Wang said. “Honestly, I still... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3345972/chinas-wang-says-resilience-key-stunning-win-over-world-no-1-all-england-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3345972/chinas-wang-says-resilience-key-stunning-win-over-world-no-1-all-england-final?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi won the India Open badminton men’s singles title on Sunday, after playing conditions – which included bird droppings on court and a monkey in the stands – drew criticism from players. Lin, 26, beat third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-10, 21-18 in 38 minutes to clinch the men’s crown at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. In the women’s singles final, world No 1 An Se-young of South Korea beat mainland China’s world No 2 Wang Zhiyi 21-13, 21-11 to extend... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3340339/taiwans-lin-chun-yi-wins-india-open-badminton-event-marred-dirty-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3340339/taiwans-lin-chun-yi-wins-india-open-badminton-event-marred-dirty-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 15:00:13 +0000 SCMP Sport,Kyodo SCMP Sport,Kyodo A proposal by the World Badminton Federation could see the nature of the sport shift dramatically, with each best-of-three game to be won by 15 points rather than the current 21. The potential change, according to some officials, is aimed at making matches faster while alleviating some physical burden on the players. But there are concerns over the possible transformation of the sport, however, with some believing it will tip the balance in favour of those players who attack from the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3338518/badminton-bosses-eye-dramatic-change-traditional-scoring-system-make-games-quicker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3338518/badminton-bosses-eye-dramatic-change-traditional-scoring-system-make-games-quicker?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 09:30:09 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li South Korea’s An Se-young and France’s Christo Popov triumphed at badminton’s year-end BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Sunday as hosts China suffered dual disappointment. In the women’s final, An defeated China’s defending champion Wang Zhiyi to claim her 11th singles title of the year, equalling the record of Kento Momota of Japan. Olympic champion An had to overcome cramp in the final game of a marathon match lasting 96 minutes, before wrapping up a 21-13, 18-21, 21-10 victory. “It seems... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3337242/bwf-world-tour-finals-beats-wang-epic-shi-injury-photo-posted-after-loss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3337242/bwf-world-tour-finals-beats-wang-epic-shi-injury-photo-posted-after-loss?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 13:16:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters China’s men’s world champion Shi Yuqi will take on Christo Popov in the title match ‌at badminton’s BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Sunday, while compatriot Wang Zhiyi meets An Se-young in the women’s showpiece. Popov, making his tournament debut as a singles player, will be the first French player to contest the final after he overwhelmed Japan’s Kodai Naraoka with his speed and ⁠power to win 21-19, 21-8 in the semi-finals on Saturday. Shi, who is looking to equal Viktor Axelsen with a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3337200/bwf-world-tour-finals-chinas-shi-wang-face-french-south-korean-foes-year-end-finale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3337200/bwf-world-tour-finals-chinas-shi-wang-face-french-south-korean-foes-year-end-finale?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Akane Yamaguchi beat former world No 1 Chen Yufei of China 21-9, 21-13 on Sunday to win the women’s singles badminton world championship final. The Japanese fifth seed rarely looked troubled on court in Paris and needed just 37 minutes to add a third world title to her gold medals from 2021 and 2022. Chen, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist, battled past top seed and reigning champion An Se-young of South Korea in a semi-final win marked by a nasty-looking ankle twist early in the second... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3323829/badminton-world-championships-japans-yamaguchi-beats-chinas-chen-win-third-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3323829/badminton-world-championships-japans-yamaguchi-beats-chinas-chen-win-third-title?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 14:29:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse World No 1 Shi Yuqi survived two match points on Saturday to book a world championship final meeting with Thai titleholder Kunlavut Vitidsarn, as top seed An Se-young was upset on the women’s side of the draw. Chinese star Shi battled back from 18-20 down in the second game to beat Canadian youngster Victor Lai 13-21, 22-20, 21-16 and keep his bid for a first world title alive. “I felt an emotional release when this one ended,” a breathless Shi said after 80 gruelling minutes on court. “Lai... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3323801/badminton-world-championships-shi-produces-brilliant-fightback-reach-final-chen-stuns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3323801/badminton-world-championships-shi-produces-brilliant-fightback-reach-final-chen-stuns?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:08:17 +0000