dd yy
An Se Young’s conflicts with the Korean Badminton Association have intensified, raising speculations that she might follow the path of players like Lee Zii Jia and Viktor Axelsen in leaving the national team and forming her own coaching team.
Recently, due to knee and ankle injuries, An Se Young missed this week’s Korea Matsuyama Super 300 Masters event and has announced her withdrawal from the Japan Masters in Kumamoto on November 12. Additionally, she declined to participate in the national team’s intensive training on November 25, with medical documentation submitted to the BWF.
However, according to Yonhap News, An Se Young plans to compete in the China Shenzhen Masters from November 21 to 26 and is actively preparing for the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, starting December 11, with a prize pool of $2.5 million.
After winning the Olympic gold in Paris, An Se Young mentioned being bullied by senior players and expressed discontent with the Korean Badminton Association, even threatening to leave the national team. While the issue seemed to be resolved in her favor, tensions remained high.
At last week’s 2024 Denmark Open, An Se Young’s attitude appeared indifferent. During a match timeout, she ignored her coach, Sung Ji Hyun, even drinking water with her back turned. This behavior led to criticism from Korean Badminton Association President Kim Jae Kyu, who accused An Se Young of acting out. The situation escalated as Korea’s National Assembly’s Committee on Culture, Sports, and Tourism intervened, requesting Kim Jae Kyu to step down and issue a formal apology to An Se Young.
