The Ki Dong-ju–Kang Min-hyuk pair lost in the Asian Games men’s doubles quarterfinals held on 27 at Ichinomiya Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
They fought to the end, taking one game against the Indonesian pair ranked 2nd in the world, but fell short of reaching the semifinals and winning a medal.
With reports saying that this tournament would be the last international competition the two players would compete in together, the quarterfinal result left disappointment beyond that of a single match.
3-Line Summary
1. Ki Dong-ju–Kang Min-hyuk eliminated in the men’s doubles quarterfinals
2. Lost 1-2 to the world’s 2nd-ranked Indonesian pair
3. Plans for the pair to split up after the tournament have been reported
Quarterfinals That Ended 14-21, 22-20, 14-21
The Ki Dong-ju–Kang Min-hyuk pair lost 1-2 in game scores (14-21, 22-20, 14-21) to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian–Muhammad Shohibul Fikri pair in the badminton men’s doubles quarterfinals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. As they failed to reach the semifinals, their medal hopes also came to an end.
They dropped the first game 14-21, but won the second game 22-20 after a deuce. Taking the match all the way to the final game was the key point of this match. However, they were again outplayed 14-21 in the third game and ended their tournament.
The opponents were a powerhouse introduced as the world’s 2nd-ranked pair. In the Asian Badminton Championships semifinals held in Ningbo, China, in April, the Ki Dong-ju–Kang Min-hyuk pair had experience defeating the same opponents 2-1. This time, their previous victory alone was not enough to regain the upper hand.
They Prepared a Defensive Solution, but the Opponents Had the Edge
After the match, Kang Min-hyuk explained that, looking back on their April victory, they had tried to work through the match defensively in preparation for the opponents’ strong net play. However, he said it was disappointing that the opponents had also prepared well and that things did not work out as intended in defense.
Ki Dong-ju likewise spoke to the effect that the opponents were a step ahead in match management and strategic responses. The assessment was that relying solely on defense was burdensome and that the opponents were also strong in the fast drive exchanges. This shows the background to why it was difficult to regain the momentum in the final game even after taking the 2nd game.
This match was a close contest against a world-class pair in which they won one game, but the result remained a quarterfinal elimination. In particular, because they faced an opponent they had beaten once before, the difference in results between the two tournaments reveals how important the opponents’ response and the choices made during the match were.
They Will Look for New Partners After the Asian Games
According to a SPOTV NEWS report, these Asian Games will be the final stage at which the Ki Dong-ju–Kang Min-hyuk pair competes together internationally. After this tournament, the two players plan to split up and prepare for new challenges with different partners.
Therefore, these quarterfinals became both the first Asian Games and the final joint Asian Games for the two players. Kang Min-hyuk reflected that he had no regrets in terms of carrying out what they had prepared through the end of the match. Although they did not reach the medals, the match in which they continued competing until the end against a world-class pair will remain as a record created by the two players together.
References
Tags #KiDongju #KangMinhyuk #Badminton #MensDoubles #AsianGames #AichiNagoyaAsianGames #BadmintonQuarterfinals #FajarAlfian #MuhammadShohibulFikri #IndonesianBadminton #KoreanBadminton #AsianBadmintonChampionships