Source: REUTERS/IVAN ALVARADO
[Saba Sports News] In 2022, the Japan Badminton Association was embroiled in a scandal involving the embezzlement of 6.8 million yen in public funds, leading to a reorganization of the federation. The fallout from this incident is still reverberating and has already impacted the federation’s pre-Olympic training plans. In an interview yesterday, Japanese doubles legend Park Joo Bong, 59, expressed his disappointment with the federation. Given the situation, some fans fear that Park Joo Bong may step down as coach of the Japanese national badminton team following the Paris Olympics. Since 2002, Park has coached the Japanese team for over 20 years, playing a pivotal role in the team’s rise to prominence. He has guided the Japanese team from obscurity to the top of the world, securing numerous significant achievements and honors for the country, including Olympic gold medals, Thomas Cup championships, Uber Cup titles, and world championships. However, the Japanese badminton team’s performance has dipped in the past year, facing unprecedented challenges on the international stage. Editorially speaking, if Park decides to leave the Japanese badminton team this summer, a likely scenario is that he could take up the position of coaching the Korean badminton team, as he is a Korean national with a strong reputation among Korean coaches and players. Enjoying a high reputation, he has expressed a desire to return to his native country.