Korean Olympians called back into the fold

Korean doubles players will get their annual evaluation from the national team coaching staff later this week.  The surprise participants, though, are Olympians and former top-5 players Ha Jung Eun and Yoo Yeon Seong.

Yoo was forced to leave the Korean National Badminton Team on Christmas Eve last year to begin basic training as part of his military service.  Ha was suspended by the Badminton Korea Association (BKA) following the match-throwing incident at the London Olympics.  Although Ha’s ban was lifted on domestic competition in September and on international competition in late January, she only returned to competition in March this year, when she played in Korea’s Spring Classic team competition.

All but 6 current National Team doubles specialists are on the list.  Exempt from having to prove themselves are men’s doubles world #3 Ko Sung Hyun / Lee Yong Dae, #5 Kim Ki Jung / Kim Sa Rang, and the #8 women’s doubles pair Jung Kyung Eun / Kim Ha Na.  Korea’s highest-ranked women’s pair, Jang Ye Na and Eom Hye Won, were recently split and both, as well as Jang’s new partner Kim So Young, will be asked to go through tryouts.  Also joining them will be current top mixed player Shin Baek Cheol, who is currently #19 with Eom Hye Won, but whose partnership with Jang will move into the world’s top 25 when the new rankings come out on Thursday.

While Yoo and Ha are the oldest candidates for the new doubles squad, the lists also contain seven juniors, including two boys aged sixteen, Kim Jae Hwan and Kim Jung Ho.  The trials will run from May 2nd to 7th in Korea’s No. 2 National Training Centre in Jincheon.