Source: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
[Saba Sports News] Japanese badminton star, Nagahara Wakana, surprised the media during a recent interview when she revealed that she initially had no plans to participate in the Paris Olympics. She shared that after the disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics, she had thought about retiring. However, in order to overcome the negative emotions and disappointment, she decided to continue playing and partnered with Matsumoto Mayu once again. The duo, who were ranked first in the women’s doubles standings in 2018 and 2019, won the women’s doubles gold medal at the World Championships but fell short in the quarterfinals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although their current world ranking has dropped, they have still secured their qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics with high points.