S. Korean women's badminton doubles team captures world title
South Korea's Baek Hana, right, and Lee So-hee pose after their win against China's Tan Ning and Liu Sheng Shu in the women's doubles final match of the Badminton World Championships in New Delhi, India, Sunday. AP-Yonhap
Baek Hana and Lee So-hee teamed up for the women's doubles badminton world title in India on Sunday, South Korea's first triumph in the event in over three decades.
Baek and Lee defeated Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China 21-15, 21-15 in the women's doubles final at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Baek and Lee became just the second South Korean duo to win the world title in the women's doubles — and the first since Gil Young-ah and Jang Hye-ock in 1995.
Baek and Lee scored the match's first five points and never trailed in winning the first game over Liu and Tan.
In the second game, the teams were tied at 4-4 before Baek and Lee opened up a 10-5 lead. The Chinese duo cut it to 13-12, only to see Baek and Lee score five unanswered points and clinch the title in 51 minutes.
In the men's doubles, Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho failed to defend their title, after losing in the semifinals to Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia, 21-17, 21-18.
Later Sunday, world No. 1 An Se-young will take on second-ranked Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the women's singles final. An won her first world title in 2023, while Yamaguchi was crowned the champion in 2021, 2022 and 2025.