Source: EYEPRESS Images/F.L Wong
[Saba Sports News] On December 16, Japanese badminton player Aya Ohori announced her retirement via social media, thanking her fans, which sparked significant interest among supporters. At the 2024 BWF World Tour Finals, Ohori achieved a remarkable three consecutive wins in the group stage but unfortunately lost to Chinese player Han Yue in the semifinals. After the match, tears streamed down Ohori’s face, expressing her reluctance and regret. In the latest women’s singles world rankings, Ohori is ranked seventh, making her Japan’s second-ranked singles player after Akane Yamaguchi. As Han Yue mentioned, everyone believed Ohori could continue competing, but she chose to leave the court, possibly related to her father’s appointment as head coach of the Japanese badminton team. Following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, Korean coach Park Joo Bong resigned, and the Japanese Badminton Association appointed Hitoshi Ohori, Aya’s father, as his replacement. Interestingly, Hitoshi Ohori will officially take over in January next year, while Aya chose to make her farewell appearance at the finals in mid-December, perfectly timing their separate paths. As a result, fans jokingly attributed her retirement to “refusing to be a princess.”