An Se-young Speaks Out Again, Vows to Reform the Negative Atmosphere in Korean Badminton

Jayce September 6, 2024 0

Amid ongoing tensions with the Korea Badminton Association, An Se-young took to her social media platform on August 16 to speak out once more. She stated that despite some reconciliation between the two parties, her resolve to change the current state of Korean badminton remains unwavering.

今年安世英在巴黎奥运会上夺得女单金牌，创造了历史。然而，在她回国后，她在幕后所面临的挑战也逐渐显露出来。安世英勇敢地揭露了韩国羽协在管理运动员方面的不当做法，包括无视选手健康、强迫参赛、在国家队任职期间遭受欺凌和不公平待遇等。她透露，有七年的时间，她被迫为资深选手做洗制服和打扫卫生等杂务。她的言论引发广泛争议，甚至引起韩国总统府的关注，导致文化体育观光部宣布对韩国羽协进行全面调查。

On August 16, An Se-young spoke again, this time with a more composed yet firm tone. She began by apologizing for any harm her previous remarks may have caused her teammates, acknowledging that her approach to addressing these issues lacked maturity and flexibility. Nevertheless, she emphasized that, although some degree of reconciliation has been reached with the Korean Badminton Association, her determination to reform the state of Korean badminton has never wavered.

On the same day, Kim Hak-gyun, the head coach of the Korean national badminton team, attended the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism’s investigation meeting for the first time.

Reflecting on her experience at the 2023 Asian Games, where her knee injury was overlooked and left untreated, An Se-young noted that injuries are the greatest adversary in an athlete’s career. She expressed her desire for timely and effective support when injured and called on the Korea Badminton Association to provide flexible and efficient treatment for all injured athletes, allowing them to compete without concerns.

An Se-young also expressed her hopes for sincere dialogue with the Korea Badminton Association in the future, rather than focusing on assigning blame. She urged the association not to evade the Ministry’s investigation and encouraged everyone to take proactive steps together. She hopes that under a reasonable system, athletes can focus on their matches and perform at their best.

An Se-young has withdrawn from the Japan Open and Korea Open in August due to ankle and knee injuries. She stated that she is currently undergoing rehabilitation training and hopes to make a full recovery. Fearing that her injuries might permanently prevent her from playing badminton, and in response to the care and support she has received, she decided to make the above statements.