Specific Position Delivered 6 Days After Resolute Statement
Chinese Netizens React 'Prematurely' to Conflict Between Association and An Seyoung
In the women's singles badminton event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, An Se-young (22, Samsung Life), who won the gold medal, has expressed dissatisfaction with the Badminton Korea Association, sparking controversy. Meanwhile, Chinese netizens have been sharing related articles about the situation on social media, reacting by saying that "naturalizing as a Chinese citizen would be a good choice" for An Se-young. On the 12th, posts related to An Se-young have been spreading on Chinese social networking services (SNS) such as Weibo.
An Se-young (22, Samsung Life), who won the gold medal in women's singles badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has expressed dissatisfaction with the Korea Badminton Association, sparking controversy. Meanwhile, Chinese netizens are sharing related articles about this situation and responding that "naturalization to China would be a good choice" for An Se-young. [Photo by Asia Economy]
On Baidu, China's largest portal, the keyword "An Se-young bombarded the Badminton Association" even ranked among the top trending searches. Chinese netizens have commented, "How about talking to Lin Xiaojun (Im Hyo-jun, a short track speed skater who naturalized as a Chinese citizen)?" "China welcomes high-level athletes," "Join the Chinese national team," and "Let's naturalize An Se-young quickly."
In response, Lee Ki-heung, president of the Korean Sports Council, appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" on the 9th and dismissed concerns that An Se-young might naturalize abroad after conflicts with the association as "too far-fetched," adding that "it is very inappropriate to discuss this during the Olympic period." Additionally, former national badminton player and MBC commentator Bang Soo-hyun said, "An Se-young prepared for international competitions and the Paris Olympics while still recovering from an injury. It must have been a really tough process," but also noted, "An Se-young is not the only one struggling. All athletes compete wearing the Taeguk mark under such conditions."
An Se-young: “Release Individual Sponsorships... Athletes Should Enjoy Economic Rewards”
The conflict between An Se-young and the Badminton Korea Association began on the 5th, right after An Se-young won the gold medal in the women's singles final at the Paris Olympics. In a press conference, she stated, "The injury was serious, but the national team was too complacent, which was disappointing. I felt it would be difficult to continue with the national team." This statement caused a significant stir, prompting the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sports Council to announce they would investigate the issue.
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 through Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of the 7th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
After the Olympics, An Se-young, who had promised to reveal everything, recently said in an interview, "(Athletes) can enjoy sufficient economic rewards through badminton even without advertisements," and added, "I hope sponsorships and contractual matters are not restricted and are more freely allowed," according to Yonhap News on the 11th. Since An Se-young had indicated she would disclose her specific stance after the Olympics, the report appears to have been released in line with the closing day.
The interview did not mention the Badminton Korea Association’s injury management or team operations. However, An Se-young emphasized, "(Economic rewards) can serve as motivation for athletes rather than discrimination," and said, "If all athletes are treated exactly the same, wouldn't that actually be reverse discrimination?"
The issues An Se-young pointed out concern the current regulations on personal sponsorships for national team athletes and salaries and contract bonuses for professional players, which require improvement. While the badminton community understands An Se-young’s position, some also note that due to the nature of less popular sports, there are unavoidable limitations. The Badminton Korea Association supports not only An Se-young but the entire team with cash and goods received from official sponsors. However, if sponsorship contracts were to be handled on an individual basis, the scale of support for less popular and junior players would inevitably decrease significantly.
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