Jayce
South Korean badminton prodigy An Se-young, currently the world No. 1 in women’s singles and a gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, recently expressed her intention to leave the national team, voicing dissatisfaction with the national team and the Badminton Korea Association. Korean media reports reveal that An Se-young, who joined the national team at the age of 15, was subjected to a grueling routine of doing laundry and cleaning for her seniors due to being the youngest on the team, a practice that continued for seven years and severely impacted her rest and training time.
Now 22 years old, An Se-young has displayed remarkable badminton talent from a young age, earning a spot on the national team at just 15. She was the first middle school student in South Korea’s history to make the national badminton team through selection trials, but this also marked the beginning of a challenging period on the national team. South Korea places great emphasis on seniority and hierarchy, and the national team is no exception. As the youngest member, An Se-young was responsible for various tasks during breaks, including restringing racquets, doing laundry, and cleaning rooms for her seniors.
