Seoul: The Badminton Korea Association (BKA) organized an internal competition called “Super Match” on Monday attempting to help Korean shuttlers to regain a competitive edge after a long break due to the coronavirus outbreak.
All international badminton tournaments have been suspended by Badminton World Federation (BWF) after the All England that was held in Birmingham in March.
All Korean shuttlers were forced to stay at home to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus since March. During that period, Korean shuttlers were doing light training at home to maintain their physical fitness.
In the men’s doubles showdown between Lee/Kim and Yoo/Choi, Lee/Kim lost the first set 19-21 but were successfully forced a decider by winning the second set 21-13.
At 19-20 of the decider, Yoo Yeon Seong served to Lee Yong Dae. However, Yoo did not expect a quick return from Lee as he hit the shuttlecock out of bounds, allowing Lee/Kim to wrap up the third set 21-19.
“I have never stopped competing for such a long time in my career. In the past, I had to rest for about 3 months because of injury. I was not at my 100% in today’s match, and I think all players were giving their best. Nevertheless, I felt happy to be playing in today’s match. I hope today’s match could help relieve the pressure and the stress from some of us,” said Lee Yong Dae after the match.
In men’s singles match, Jeon Hyeok-jin defeated World No. 56 Son Wan ho 21-9, 21-15.