Badminton Gold Medalist Throws Shade At South Korean Association During Press Meeting

Badminton athlete and gold medalist An Se Young shook Korea with a surprise shade at the Badminton Korea Association (BKA).

On August 5, 2024 (KST), after the women’s singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at Porte de la Chapelle in Paris, France, An commented on the possibility of leaving the national team during a press meeting.

When asked about the most memorable moment, An talked about her struggles with injuries sustained at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou 2022.

According to An, via an Instagram post in May 2024, the injury was initially said to heal within two to six weeks. But when the pain never subsided, An sought more medical help—only to realize that her initial diagnosis had been incorrect. Regardless, An kept training for the 2024 Paris Olympics while minimizing pain as much as possible.

I’m so incredibly happy. It’s indescribable in words. I feel like I can finally breathe now. As for the most memorable moment, I can’t stop thinking about when I couldn’t pull myself together after the Asian Games due to an injury. The coaches worked so hard for me as I fought back, got frustrated with them, and cried over and over again. Those moments were not in vain, and the medal really confirms that. There were times when I was scared and worried. Like I couldn’t breathe… But I got through those tough moments. So, now I’m free and resolute. Could it get any better than this? This very moment must be why I had to put up with everything that I did.

— An Se Young

Then, An called out the BKA for the lack of professional care for athletes like herself. Voicing her disappointment, An said there were times when she thought “it might be hard to continue playing for the national team.”

My injuries were more severe than I expected, and I couldn’t perform. But the [BKA] was far too complacent about it. I was quite disappointed with the national team. Long story short, I know that I put Coach Soo Jung through a lot. She went out of her way to make my dream come true, and she struggled a lot. I put her in difficult situations, and I feel terribly sorry about that… But that’s also why, as of late, I thought it might be hard to continue playing for the national team.

— An Se Young

At the subsequent official press conference, An continued slamming the BKA. She posed the question whether or not “it’s fair to say that players can’t compete in the Olympics just because they leave the national team.”

I wonder if it’s fair to say that players can’t compete in the Olympics just because they leave the national team. Badminton consists of different matches for men’s and women’s doubles, and I believe players shouldn’t have their qualifications revoked. It seems like the Badminton Korea Association is only getting in the way of everything. They are neglecting things under the guise of freedom. And so, while South Korean badminton could achieve significant progress, it only won one gold medal so far. They should reflect on that fact.

— An Se Young

Coach Kim Hak Kyun, the head coach of the national team, responded, flustered. He assumed that An’s disappointment was more with the BKA than Team Korea itself, and said “there is no problem” between him and the discontent athlete.

It seems that An Se Young expressed dissatisfaction more with the association than with the national team. After the press conference, she mentioned that she wasn’t disappointed with the national team. There’s no problem between An and me. If there were, would we have celebrated together after she won the gold medal? But the association will need to address her concerns moving forward.

— Kim Hak Kyun

A spokesperson for the association said, “It’s difficult to make an official statement from the association’s side. We have reported the situation to the president of the association. But there is no doubt that the association tried its best.”

Stay tuned for updates.