South Korea and Japan made history at the 2026 Badminton Asia Team Championships, each securing their first team title at the continental event held at the Qingdao Conson Gymnasium. The competition took place from February 3 to 8 and also served as the Asian qualifying event for the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cups in Denmark.
South Korea’s women’s team produced a dominant display in the final, defeating host China 3-0 to lift the women’s championship for the first time. Led by world No. 1 singles star An Se-young, the Koreans delivered commanding performances across singles and doubles that left the home side without a win in the tie.
An provided a strong start with a straight-games win in the opening singles match, while the pair of Baek Ha-na and Kim Hye-jeong followed up with a decisive doubles victory over China’s top duo. Kim Ga-eun then sealed the title with a comeback win in the second singles match.
Before this breakthrough, South Korea had reached the final twice without winning the title, finishing runners-up in 2020 and 2022. The victory marks a significant achievement for the Korean women’s team and adds a new chapter to the nation’s badminton success.
Source: Xinhua
In the men’s event, Japan emerged as champions for the first time as they swept aside China 3-0 in their final. Japan’s Yushi Tanaka opened the tie with a straight-game singles win, and the momentum continued as Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi secured the doubles point. Koki Watanabe clinched the title with a solid singles victory to complete the clean sweep.
Japan’s triumph adds to their strong badminton tradition and comes after earlier editions of the tournament where they finished runners-up. This breakthrough underscores Japan’s rising strength in Asian team competition.
The championships also featured intense battles in the knockout rounds, with several close ties decided by narrow margins. Teams used the event not only to compete for continental honours but also to test combinations and build momentum ahead of the sport’s global team events later in the year.
