Source: Action Images/RITZAU SCANPIX
[Saba Sports News] An Se-young, the women’s singles champion of the Paris Olympics, has made new progress in her struggle with the Korean Badminton Association. On Tuesday, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a press conference at the Seoul City Hall to release a mid-term investigation report on the An Se-young incident, planning to abolish the controversial regulation that prohibits non-national team badminton players from participating in international competitions. Previously, An Se-young had expressed her desire to go solo, but according to the regulations of the Korean Badminton Association, non-national representatives must be active as national team members for at least five years, and male players must be over 28 years old while female players must be over 27 years old to participate in BWF international competitions. In simple terms, if An Se-young insists on going solo, she would not only be unable to participate in the Olympics but also unable to register for ordinary international competitions. The Ministry of Culture and Sports stated that among 44 sports in the country, there are no restrictions like badminton that limit non-national team players from participating in international competitions. Even badminton associations in countries like the United States, Japan, Denmark, and France do not have such restrictions. This regulation restricts the professional activity freedom of South Korean players and therefore needs to be abolished. In response, some fans expressed that outstanding athletes like An Se-young could break free from the constraints of the Korean Badminton Association and attract more sponsorship if they could form their own teams to compete in international events and the Olympics.