An Se-young temporarily not wearing sponsor’s shoes in competitions

[Saba Sports News] According to South Korean media reports, An Se-young, the women’s singles champion of the Paris Olympics, has gained “shoe autonomy” after winning her struggle with the Korean Badminton Association. She can wear her own shoes in future international competitions instead of the sponsor’s shoes. However, this autonomy is a temporary concession from the Korean Badminton Association. Records show that the current sponsor of the Korean national badminton team is Yonex. According to the rules, as a member of the Korean team, An Se-young is supposed to wear Yonex equipment in international competitions. However, during the 2024 Korean National Sports Festival held last week, An Se-young was seen wearing Asics badminton shoes, while her uniform and socks were from a local Korean brand. In response, some media outlets stated that this does not mean An Se-young can follow in the footsteps of Lin Dan and “partially detach” from the national team to seek her own sponsors. The Korean Badminton Association has temporarily allowed An Se-young to train and compete in shoes other than those of the sponsor due to the significant negative public opinion following her public criticism of the association. Yonex executives have initiated crisis management efforts, stating they are doing their utmost to develop customized badminton shoes that satisfy An Se-young and are discussing equipment issues for all national team players with the Korean Badminton Association.