Badminton star An Se-young says ready to play through pain in pursuit of world title

Seoul, August 14 - Olympic badminton champion An Se-young declared on Friday her determination to compete despite persistent discomfort in her left foot as she pursues her second women's singles world title this month. The South Korean departed for New Delhi on Friday to train for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships, running from Monday to August 23.

This will be An's first tournament since withdrawing from the second round of the Japan Open on July 15 due to the same foot injury. Earlier in July, she had stated to South Korean media that she was nearly fully recovered and ready for the world championships. Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport on Friday, An, the current world No. 1, revealed she has been actively training and preparing for matches.

She emphasized that while she is not entirely pain-free, the discomfort is manageable. An acknowledged that she will need to adjust her body's movements as the tournament progresses. Notably, she has shown remarkable form recently, winning five titles and securing runner-up finishes in her first six BWF World Tour events. Defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, along with Wang Zhiyi of China, are among her top rivals.