South Korea’s An Se-young successfully defended her badminton women’s singles title at the Asian Games on Wednesday, becoming the first female player to win two singles golds in the competition’s history. An, ranked world number one, defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in straight sets, 21-17, 21-9, at the event held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The 24-year-old reigning Olympic and world champion extended her unbeaten run, which has lasted since March, by capturing her second consecutive Asian Games gold after her initial victory in Hangzhou three years ago. Following her commanding win, An described the moment as “like a dream” and expressed overwhelming joy.
In the men’s singles badminton final, Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn claimed his country’s first gold in the event with a 21-12, 21-16 victory against Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew. The contest concluded as the Asian Games faced continued disruptions from heavy rainfall, which affected multiple sporting events throughout the day.
In athletics, the Philippines’ EJ Obiena successfully defended his men’s pole vault title, setting a new Games record by clearing 5.91 meters amid the wet conditions. China’s Zhang Jiale secured the women’s hammer throw gold with an Asian and Games record throw of 78.27 meters, while Japan’s Ko Ochiai won the men’s 800 meters in a Games-record time of 1:44.48.
China dominated the athletics program, accumulating 17 gold medals, followed by Japan with 10 and Bahrain with nine. Meanwhile, in women’s football, North Korea advanced to the final with a 2-0 victory over China at Shizuoka’s 50,000-seat stadium, which saw limited attendance due to the inclement weather. North Korea will face Japan, who defeated South Korea by the same scoreline.
The overall medal standings continued to reflect China’s supremacy, with the host nation leading at 143 golds. Japan held second place with 44 golds, while South Korea was third with 24.
The Games have experienced persistent disruptions due to rainy weather and logistical challenges. Organizers apologized after two teams were mistakenly transported to incorrect venues on Monday. South Korea’s men’s volleyball team had to cancel a practice session when their bus was misdirected, and Pakistan’s cricket team faced a 45-minute delay after being taken to the wrong arena for their match against Uzbekistan.
A spokesperson for the local organizing committee acknowledged the errors, attributing them to a mismatch in assigning vehicles. “Each boarded a bus heading to the wrong destination. We sincerely apologise to both teams for the inconvenience,” said Ayumi Sakamoto.
Meanwhile, other sports including cricket, tennis, and softball also experienced interruptions for a second consecutive day. Organizers remain hopeful as improved weather conditions are forecast starting Thursday.