Netizens "Old Coaching Style of Getting Angry and Yelling" vs "Can't Even Scold?"
Head Coach Kang Jae-won of the handball national team giving tactical instructions. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Kang Jae-won, head coach of the South Korean women's handball team, has sparked controversy for shouting at players who were losing during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, saying, "Hey, this is embarrassing."
On the 4th, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women's handball quarterfinals held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, the South Korean team lost to Sweden with a score of 30 to 39.
However, Kang's attitude during a timeout caught attention. About seven minutes into the second half, Kang called for a timeout and shouted at the players, "Hey, this is embarrassing. Is Korean handball this embarrassing?" and "Hey, seven minutes have passed now," showing a scolding demeanor.
He also said, "What are you doing now? You're avoiding them. You need to stick to them," and "It doesn't matter if you get a two-minute suspension," strongly urging the players.
One netizen posted the video of the scene on their social media (SNS), saying, "They were just losing, but they heard such a devastating remark. On such a big stage like the Olympics watched by the whole world, they heard this kind of verbal abuse from the coach," and criticized, "I really doubted my ears the moment I heard it. If he acts like this in front of the camera, I can't even imagine how much worse it is when there is no camera."
The video attracted great attention, recording nearly 160,000 views and being shared by more than 12,000 people.
Netizens who watched the video commented, "An old coaching style of getting angry and yelling," "Is that something you say to players who are doing their best and catching their breath?" "The coach is breaking the players' morale," and "The handball players look intimidated."
On the other hand, some argued, "Can't a coach even scold the players?" and "What's the problem with that?" sparking a debate over Kang's attitude.
Meanwhile, in a post-match interview, Coach Kang said, "The players did their best, but it seems the gap with Europe has widened," and "If we don't make changes, it will be even harder in future international competitions," sharing his thoughts on the game.
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