Source: Visual China Group/Zheng Hongliang/VCG
[Saba Sports News] The finals of the 2024 All Japan Badminton Championships have concluded. The pair of Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, who failed to win a gold medal in any of the World Badminton Federation events throughout 2024, finally clinched the national championship in Japan at the end of the year. After a thrilling comeback victory in the semifinals, Shida and Matsuyama entered the finals with the mindset of “this year cannot just end like this.” Ultimately, they defeated their opponents smoothly in just two games, marking their first national championship together in ten years of partnership. After the match, Chiharu Shida finally smiled. In an interview, she expressed happiness about winning a medal at the Olympics but felt regret over not securing a championship in the World Badminton Federation events, stating she would work twice as hard next year. Since Matsuyama will take a break for a while early this year, Shida will briefly partner with Misaki Matsutomo for competitions. Shida expressed her excitement about partnering with Matsutomo and hopes to learn more from her.