Korean doubles star Seo adds spark to China's badminton club competition

BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korean doubles star Seo Seung-jae has quickly won over Chinese teammates and fans in the China Badminton Super League (CBSL), overcoming unfamiliar partners and language barriers to help revive Zhejiang Jingti Club's title push.

The CBSL, a top-tier domestic club competition, breaks from the traditional provincial-team framework. A key innovation this season has been the introduction of international players, injecting fresh energy into the league.

Seo was invited to join Zhejiang Jingti, home to Paris 2024 Olympic mixed doubles gold medalist Huang Yaqiong and men's doubles silver medalist Wang Chang. Partnering separately with Huang, Wang and others, Seo played six matches and claimed four victories.

Communication quickly emerged as the biggest hurdle, beyond court positioning and tactics. "The hardest part when playing with Seo is the language barrier," Huang noted. "Sometimes we move into the same area, but that's manageable. What really disrupts us is not being able to communicate during matches."

The naturally gifted doubles specialist soon found his rhythm after a brief adjustment period. Adapting quickly to new partners, Seo secured a win in his second outing alongside Huang and settled smoothly into the league.

Seo has built a stellar profile in doubles. He won world titles in both men's doubles and mixed doubles in 2023 with Kang Min-hyuk and Chae Yoo-jung respectively. This season, focusing solely on men's doubles, he teamed up with Kim Won-ho to form the year's most dominant pair, capturing 12 titles -- including another world crown -- in a single season. Seo became the first doubles player to defend a world title with different partners, and the duo was named BWF Men's Doubles Pair of the Year.

In the CBSL, Seo again competed in both men's and mixed doubles. Lining up with Wang in men's doubles, they won all three of their matches, with Seo's all-round qualities drawing high praise from his teammates.

"He controls the pace extremely well and transitions from defense to offense very steadily," Wang said. "It's been a great learning experience playing beside him."

When Seo arrived, Zhejiang Jingti was hampered by injuries and sat at the bottom of the standings. His impact helped propel the team to the finals, fulfilling his pledge to help them reach the championship match. "I'm very happy we made it to the finals," Seo said after the semifinals. "It's a pity I can't play in the final, but I sincerely wish Zhejiang Jingti the best result."

"Training with Chinese players and experiencing China's training system during the CBSL has been very beneficial for my growth," he added. "I'll keep learning and improving."

The current CBSL season features eight clubs and is being staged across four cities: Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou and Wuhu. The finals will begin on January 1, 2026, in Changsha. Other international stars such as Anders Antonsen, Goh V Shem and Yuta Watanabe have also taken part.

Foreign participation has raised the league's competitive level, created cross-national pairings rarely seen on the international circuit and drawn widespread attention. The CBSL is emerging as a valuable complement to the BWF World Tour.

After his stint in China, Seo expressed openness to returning. "If I'm invited again in the future," he said, "I'd be happy to take part once more." ■