Badminton Association "Seems to Have Different Expectations from An Se-young"
Netizens "It's Reasonable from the Player's Perspective"
An Se-young, who won the gold medal in women's singles badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is speaking to the press after returning home through Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 7th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
In the women's singles badminton event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, An Se-young (Samsung Life), who won the gold medal, expressed dissatisfaction with the Badminton Korea Association, prompting the association to respond by saying, "It seems our expectations are different," which has sparked another controversy.
On the 7th, the Badminton Korea Association issued a press release addressing the controversy over allegedly neglecting An Se-young's knee injury and forcing her to participate in international competitions despite her condition.
The association first addressed the 'controversy over forcing participation,' stating, "Participation in tournaments is not forced but the athlete's choice," and emphasized, "Among the 12 athletes who participated in the Paris Olympics, only An Se-young has had a dedicated trainer assigned since February this year to manage and aid her injury recovery."
Regarding the 'injury neglect controversy,' they explained, "We arranged for a Korean medicine doctor appointed by An Se-young and spent and supported over 11 million KRW in expenses," adding, "During this process, we maintained strict confidentiality and proceeded swiftly to prevent exposure of An Se-young's injury."
However, An Se-young's side countered, saying that after a short rest following her knee injury, she was forced to participate in the December Tour Finals (where she was eliminated in the semifinals) without adequate rest. They claimed, "When she withdrew from the January India Open quarterfinals due to a thigh injury, she requested to return home early for treatment, but this was ignored."
Regarding the dispatch of the Korean medicine doctor, they stated, "As soon as she injured her ankle, she informed the national team coaching staff and medical team, but they told her to stay quiet to avoid revealing our strategy," adding, "Her younger sibling saw this and thought it was unacceptable, so after informing the parents and the athlete team, the Korean medicine doctor was finally dispatched."
An Se-young's side also claimed that during a meeting in January, their requests such as "wearing shoes from a different sponsor instead of the existing one" and "wanting to fly business class for condition management" were not accepted.
In response, the association said, "We cannot grant all requests as it might be seen as favoritism," adding, "We provided as much support as possible and do not believe the support was insufficient. It seems our expectations are different." They further remarked, "If An Se-young's standards are based on those set by Son Heung-min or Kim Yuna, it is inevitable to think they are excessive."
The association's stance provoked anger among netizens, who reacted with comments such as, "What is this, criticizing by comparing her to Son Heung-min and Kim Yuna?", "An Se-young is also world number one; her standards should be at that level," "Is granting those requests really favoritism?", "From an athlete's perspective, these seem like very reasonable demands," "Why drag Son Heung-min and Kim Yuna into this?", "Is that something you say to a gold medalist?", and "The media play is creepy."
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