Source: REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
[Saba Sports News] South Korean badminton prodigy An Se-young expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Korean Badminton Association after winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Her complaints include being forced to compete while injured without receiving proper medical care, difficulties adapting to Korea’s senior-junior culture, being prohibited from accepting private endorsements, feeling underpaid, and being asked to fire her trusted coach. While achieving honors, An Se-young bravely stood up for better treatment and environment for herself and her teammates, which caught the attention of South Korean society and even shocked the presidential office. Following the Paris Olympics, press conferences about the issue were held repeatedly, with discussions and negotiations ongoing. However, the problems raised by An Se-young have not been resolved, leading people to wonder if the efficiency of the Korean Badminton Association is really that low. In fact, it is not; both the Korean Badminton Association and the entire South Korean sports community have a rule that if the badminton program wants to make groundbreaking reforms, all sports programs in South Korea must act in unison. This requires approval and support from the Korean National Assembly, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, and the Korean Sports Council. The Korean Badminton Association cannot make or implement such reforms independently. An Se-young originally wanted to change the Korean Badminton Association but encountered not just a single problem but the entire South Korean sports department.