An Se Young Takes a Stand: Korean Badminton Association Forced to Undergo Investigation

Jayce September 6, 2024 7 0

Recently, the highly-regarded Korean badminton player An Se-young made explosive remarks, hinting at the possibility of leaving the national team and even competing as a free agent. In response, the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced today that a comprehensive investigation into the Korean Badminton Association (KBA) will be conducted to uncover the truth.

Following her victory in the women’s singles badminton event at the 2024 Olympics, An Se-young revealed in a post that after suffering a severe knee injury during last year’s Asian Games, the KBA forced her to compete despite her health concerns, leading to the worsening of her injury due to misdiagnosis. Additionally, she claimed that the KBA did not allow her personal coach to accompany her to the Olympics this year. An Se-young had submitted a formal request to retire from the national team in January this year, a move that even drew attention from the Presidential Office.

Subsequently, An Se-young was compelled to post a completely black image on Instagram, along with a public apology. In her statement, she expressed deep remorse and guilt for causing distress to many, especially to those athletes who continue to compete on the Olympic stage.

The KBA responded by denying the allegations of forcing players to compete. Regarding An Se-young’s consideration of competing as a free agent, the KBA diplomatically declined, stating that while they understood her personal sentiments and concerns, such a proposal does not align with the regulations and practices of international sports organizations.

An Se-young may still have the opportunity to compete as a free agent. Previously, the KBA had a rule that only allowed athletes over the age of 31 to compete internationally as free agents. However, in 2018, Ko Sung-hyun, then 31, and Shin Baek-cheol, then 29, filed a lawsuit against the KBA after leaving the national team in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The court ruled in their favor, and subsequently, veteran players such as Lee Yong-dae, Ko Sung-hyun, and Kim Gi-jung made their returns to international competition.

On August 12, the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced that it would commence an investigation into the KBA, focusing not only on the handling of An Se-young’s injury and the allegations of forced participation but also on other controversial issues, such as the relevant regulatory frameworks and the execution and management of subsidies provided to the KBA. According to Korean media, the Ministry allocated 37.43 million RMB in subsidies to the KBA this year. The Ministry plans to conduct on-site inspections, expert consultations, and hearings with relevant parties, including the KBA and the national team, with the investigation results to be published next month.

The investigation team will be led by Lee Jung-woo, the Director of the Sports Bureau at the Ministry, and will include over ten personnel from the Ministry and affiliated institutions, including investigators from the Center for Sports Ethics. Lee Jung-woo emphasized that not only An Se-young but all athletes should feel empowered to voice their concerns. He stated that it is the responsibility of both the Ministry and sports organizations to listen to athletes. The fundamental question of the investigation is whether the KBA has fulfilled its duties in supporting the athletes to the fullest extent.