Source:REUTERS/Toby Melville
[Saba Sports News] There are media reports that, so as not to affect her participation in the Asian Games, South Korea’s national badminton team women’s doubles core player Kong Hee-yong has undergone surgery. Sources within the Korean national team revealed that Kong was diagnosed on the 26th of last month with a partial tear of the lateral meniscus in her right knee. The surgery was very successful, and she is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Kong will miss the Badminton Asia Championships, which start April 7 in Ningbo, China, and will also be unable to take part in the Uber Cup in Denmark beginning April 24. Her absence is undoubtedly a blow to the Korean team. Known for her powerful right-side smashes, she has formed world-class doubles partnerships with teammates who combine defensive ability and agility, such as Kim So-yeong and Kim Hye-jeong. Partnering with Kim So-yeong, she won the women’s doubles bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and reached world No. 1 in October 2022. After the 2024 Paris Olympics she began partnering with Kim Hye-jeong; they are currently ranked fifth in the world.
The editor believes that if Kong Hee-yong’s recovery does not progress well, the Korean team may reinstate the Kim Hye-jeong / Jeong Na-eun pairing. That duo rose to world No. 3 in January 2023 but was disbanded after the Paris Olympics when the Kong Hee-yong / Kim Hye-jeong partnership was formed.