(Xports News Reporter Kim Jeong-hyeon) The Korea Badminton Association (hereafter, the Association) issued a statement refuting point by point the attacks and revelations made by Ahn Se-young (Samsung Life Insurance), the gold medalist in women’s singles badminton at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On the 7th, the association expressed its position on ‘Ahn Se-young’s exposure of the association and related articles’ through a press release.
The badminton team, including Ahn Se-young, returned home through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 at 4:30 PM that day, and had just finished a brief interview and returned home. In an interview with reporters immediately after returning home, Ahn Se-young said that the revelations related to the association in Paris were not intended to fight the Korea Badminton Association.
World No. 1 An Se-young won the gold medal by defeating He Bingzhao (China) 2-0 in the women’s singles final of the badminton competition held at the Porte de la Chapelle in Paris, France on the 5th.
With her victory, Ahn Se-young has rekindled Korea’s gold streak in the event, which had been cut off for 28 years since Bang Soo-hyun won the women’s singles gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
After that, Ahn Se-young strongly criticized the Badminton Association for reasons such as the injury in the Hangzhou Asian Games finals last October, the subsequent misdiagnosis, and the numerous international competitions she participated in, and expressed her intention not to join the national team. Ahn Se-young’s bombshell statement turned South Korea upside down, and Ahn Se-young kept her mouth shut until the 7th when she was ready to say a few words at the arrival hall.
After returning home, Ahn Se-young softened her hard-line stance somewhat during an airport interview. She said, “First of all, what I want to say is that I really don’t intend to fight, but I really want to focus on my training, so I want to appeal to you and ask for your understanding.” She continued, “I just got here, and I haven’t talked to the association or the team yet, so I’ll tell you more details after I discuss it with them.”
Regarding the statement by Badminton Association President Kim Taek-gyu, who arrived in the morning, that there was no conflict with Ahn Se-young, Ahn Se-young said, “I will discuss this further and let you know. I have arrived now.”
At the moment when a follow-up question was about to come up, Ahn Se-young chatted with an official behind her and then immediately boarded her team Samsung Life bus outside the airport. It was a more bland answer than expected.
Following this, a press release from the Badminton Association was distributed.
The association said, “As soon as the team returns to Korea, we will conduct interviews with the national team coaching staff and national team players, including Ahn Se-young, and form a ‘fact-finding committee’ to thoroughly investigate the details and problems and take appropriate measures to protect the players.” The association then refuted point by point the content of the interview Ahn Se-young gave after winning the gold medal.
◆Participating in a competition despite injury due to fines? Association: “Never done that”
The association said, “Ahn Se-young did her best to obtain Olympic qualification and maintain the No. 1 seed while preparing for the Olympics. Our association would like to inform you that there has never been an international competition where we forced players to participate without considering their physical condition or ignoring their wishes when participating in the competition.”
The association continued, “Regarding the part about ‘ordering unreasonable participation in competitions due to fines,’ the Badminton World Federation has a regulation that exempts fines and sanctions if a player submits an appropriate medical certificate (a medical certificate from a doctor prohibiting overseas travel) to the World Federation and receives approval for exemption.”
He continued, “There has never been a case where an injured player was forced to compete in an international competition due to the penalty regulations, and Ahn Se-young also did not receive any fines or sanctions from the Badminton World Federation after submitting the necessary documents in the process of not participating in the 2023 Denmark Open and French Open after the Hangzhou Asian Games.”
An Se-young said immediately after winning the gold medal, “My injury was more serious than I thought. I was very disappointed in the national team for being too complacent. I thought that after this moment, it would be difficult for me to continue playing with the national team.”
The association explained the situation of An Se-young’s knee injury suffered in the individual event final against Zhang Yufei at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held last year, and refuted that the association’s response was not complacent, contrary to An Se-young’s claims.
The association said, “During the final match, Ahn Se-young suffered a knee injury and played in the final match. After returning to Korea, she proceeded with the following schedule.”
According to the association, Ahn Se-young personally visited a hospital and underwent an MRI scan on October 8th of last year after returning to Korea. The next day, she visited the Seoul Top Orthopedic Rehabilitation Department in Songpa-gu, Seoul, accompanied by national team trainer Kim Ji-eun, to receive an MRI reading.
The association explained the reason why the hospital where the MRI was taken and the hospital where the reading, diagnosis, and treatment were different, saying, “The hospital where the MRI was taken was closed on October 8th and 9th, so they were unable to read it quickly. We found a hospital that could read it as quickly as possible through trainer Ji-eun Kim, and visited it with trainer Ji-eun Kim.”
At that time, Ahn Se-young was diagnosed that she needed absolute rest and stability for two weeks, and that rehabilitation would take four weeks. She had partial rupture of patellar tendonitis in her right knee, severe swelling of the patellar tendon itself, and water filled it, and received a tissue regeneration injection in her right knee for treatment.
The hospital advised that he would not be able to participate in the Japan Masters tournament scheduled for November 14-19 last year, and that he would also have difficulty participating in the China Masters tournament scheduled for November 21-26, and that it would be difficult for him to make a full recovery in a short period of time.
Afterwards, at Ahn Se-young’s request, she underwent rehabilitation training at her team Samsung Life Insurance, and after 5 weeks of rehabilitation, she participated in the aforementioned Japanese competition (final 3rd place) and Chinese competition (final 16) with her strong will.
The association then went on to explain the situation at the Malaysian Open and India Open in January this year.
The association said, “Ahn Se-young participated in the 2024 Malaysia Open (January 9-14) and India Open (January 16-21) consecutively, and after winning the Malaysia Open, she withdrew from the quarterfinals during the India Open due to a thigh injury.”
In the process, “After withdrawing from the quarterfinals, Ahn Se-young requested an early return to Korea, but the national team coaching staff decided that it would be difficult to diagnose and treat Ahn immediately, considering that even if she changed her schedule, took a flight on Saturday, and returned to Korea on Sunday, she would return on a holiday,” they said.
In addition, they added, “We decided not to take measures to return home early because we judged that it would be better for Ahn Se-young to rest and stabilize the injured area before returning home with the team rather than returning home without a clear diagnosis of the injured area. We also stated that we did not take measures such as using an Indian hospital because we did not trust the local hospitals to diagnose and treat Ahn Se-young.”
The association continued, “Among the 12 badminton players participating in the Olympics, Ahn Se-young will be provided with a dedicated trainer starting in February 2024 to help with injury management and recovery.”
The association also gave a detailed explanation of the ankle injury suffered immediately after entering Paris.
The association stated, “Two days after arriving at the Paris platform, Ahn Se-young suffered an unexpected ankle injury during training. Based on the diagnosis of ankle tendon damage, we could have provided treatment support from the Korea Sports Council’s medical team and treatment at a Korean medicine clinic in Paris in consultation with the Korea Sports Council. However, since Ahn Se-young wanted to receive treatment, we recruited an Korean medicine doctor she nominated in Seoul and quickly dispatched him to Paris (departed from Incheon on July 22nd → departed from Paris on August 4th) and provided treatment support at a cost of over 11 million won.”
He then said, “We are concerned that if Ahn Se-young’s injury was made known to the public through the media, it would be exposed to opposing athletes, so we carried out this process quickly while maintaining strict security with only a few people, including the Korea Sports Council and the association, in mind.”
The association also said, “With regards to the misdiagnosis at the hospital that Ahn Se-young spoke of, we will thoroughly investigate the hospitals that Ahn Se-young visited and her treatment records, as well as the medical treatment records, to determine what part of the misdiagnosis caused Ahn Se-young to suffer, and the association will thoroughly manage this to ensure that something like this never happens again.”
The association specifically detailed the contract with trainer Han Su-jeong, referred to as ‘Trainer Teacher’ by Ahn Se-young.
Last June, the national team requested the hiring of a conditioning manager who could help players recover through massage, and the association reviewed the request and began the hiring process.
From June 7 to 21 last year, a recruitment notice was posted and interviews were conducted on the 30th of the same month. At that time, a total of three people, including the association’s executive director, the chairman of the athletic performance improvement committee, and the national team coach, conducted the interviews.
Among the six interviewees, trainer Han Su-jeong was hired, and the contract period was one year from July 3, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
The association said, “Even though the contract period ends on June 30, 2024, we judged that Ahn Se-young would need trainer Han Soo-jung’s support until the end of the Olympics, so we proposed an extension of the contract until the end of the Olympics. However, due to trainer Han Soo-jung’s refusal to go to Paris, the contract was extended only until July 12, the departure date for the team’s pre-training camp, and then the contract was terminated.”
◆Currently outdated system? Promise to find out the truth… ‘Participation in the Olympics after retirement from the national team’ must be in accordance with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regulations
An Se-young also pointed out the training system within the national team after winning the gold medal. He said, “I want to continue to develop badminton and achieve my own records, but I don’t know what the (Korea Badminton) Association will do. I think I can endure any situation as long as I can play badminton.”
Meanwhile, when asked, “What will happen to the next Olympics if you don’t play on the national team?” Ahn Se-young responded, “I think it’s unfair to an athlete to say that they can’t play in the Olympics just because they left the national team.”
He continued, “Singles and doubles are clearly different, and players should not be deprived of their qualifications,” and directly criticized, “The association blocks everything, and then neglects them in the name of freedom. Up until now, our national team has been centered on doubles, which has relatively good results in international competitions. We have repeatedly expressed our desire to hire a personal trainer to manage our performance, but it was not accepted.”
Regarding the training system, the association said, “We will establish our own ‘fact-finding committee’ after the national team returns to Korea, closely investigate the training methods and physical exercise programs, and then share the information. The association has never officially been informed of Ahn Se-young’s opinion that she ‘wants to use a personal trainer.’ We will try to accurately determine the facts about this.”
Regarding Olympic participation for non-associate athletes, he explained, “The current national team selection regulations of the association stipulate that retired national team athletes are permitted to participate in international competitions, stating, ‘Athletes who have been active as national athletes for at least 5 years are eligible, and their age must be at least 27 years for women and 28 years for men. ‘”
While saying, “If the related regulations are ignored, there is considerable concern that national team players will leave the team, and in that case, the association will face considerable difficulties in managing the national team. Furthermore, according to the IOC Charter below, the final decision-making authority on Olympic participation lies with the Korean Olympic Committee. We would like to inform you that there are parts where our association cannot grant participation rights to players based on arbitrary decisions.” This is a virtual rejection of Ahn Se-young’s hope.
The association also said, “We would like to inform you that there is no way that a singles player would be encouraged to play doubles while playing as a national team player,” and “Regarding Ahn Se-young’s remarks regarding leaving the national team, our association will work to ensure that no important player in badminton, or even in Korean sports, will leave the national team.”
He also emphasized, “After Ahn Se-young returns to Korea, we will listen to her opinions in detail and with an open mind through an in-depth interview, identify the problems, and make sure the association takes maximum measures to protect the player.”
Furthermore, the association promised follow-up measures, saying, “As soon as the team returns home, we will conduct interviews with the national team coaching staff and national team players, form a ‘fact-finding committee’ to thoroughly investigate the matter, and take appropriate measures to protect the players.”
Lastly, the association said, “Regarding Ahn Se-young’s mention of not attending the press conference at Korea House on August 6th at the Paris airport, the association has never told Ahn Se-young to ‘not say anything and wait’ or instructed her not to attend the press conference.” This is a direct refutation of Ahn Se-young’s claim that her absence from the press conference was due to the tacit recommendation of the association or the Korea Sports Council.
◆What did Ahn Se-young say? The Badminton Association is refuting it
After winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Ahn Se-young said, “My (knee) injury was more serious than I thought. I wasn’t able to compete (at the Paris Olympics), but (the association) was too complacent and I was very disappointed in the national team.” She continued, “To put it briefly, my trainer had to watch out for (the association) a lot and put me through many difficult times in order to help me achieve my (Olympic gold medal) dream. I’m so sorry.”
He continued, “I think that it will be difficult for me to continue with the national team after this moment. I need to talk about it now, but I am very disappointed (in the association), so I hope that the day will come when I can explain this at length later.”
An Se-young struggled in the women’s singles final at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, despite winning the first set, due to knee pain. She lost the second set to Chen Yufei, and was unable to secure the gold medal. However, she won the third set with an overwhelming score of 21-8, becoming the gold medalist.
However, Ahn Se-young had to focus on rehabilitation for over a month after returning from the Hangzhou Asian Games. Ahn Se-young’s position is that the reason her knee injury worsened was because of a misdiagnosis during the initial examination and the association’s order to force her to compete in various international competitions before she had fully recovered.
An Se-young also reflected at the official press conference for the women’s singles medal on the same day, saying, “The knee injury was more difficult to recover from than I thought. I endured it and played since the moment I was first misdiagnosed.” She continued, “When I was reexamined at the end of last year, my knee was in much worse condition. There wasn’t much time until the Paris Olympics, so I had to endure it and play.”
He continued, “I kept running with determination. I was able to get to this point thanks to the help of my trainer,” and raised his voice, saying, “I was so disappointed when I got injured on the national team. I can’t forget that moment.”
An Se-young also pointed out the administrative problems of the association as one of the reasons why Korean badminton performed worse than expected at the Paris Olympics. At this competition, Korea won a gold medal in the women’s singles by An Se-young and a silver medal in the mixed doubles by Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun.
An Se-young said, “I think our badminton can develop a lot, but I think it’s time to look back and see that we only won one gold medal (at the Paris Olympics).” She added, “I want to keep playing for my own record and continue to develop badminton, but I’m not sure what the association will do.”
However, Ahn Se-young emphasized that it is unreasonable to block an athlete from participating in the Olympics even if she leaves the national team. She emphasized that even if she refuses to join the national team, if she has sufficient skills, she should be able to participate in the Olympics. In foreign countries, athletes in swimming and ice skating have personal coaches and train, and through preliminary competitions, they can win tickets to the Olympics or World Championships.
An Se-young said, “I want to continue to develop badminton and break my records, but I don’t know what the (Korea Badminton) Association will do. I think I can endure any situation as long as I can play badminton.” When asked, “What will happen to the next Olympics if I don’t make the national team?” she answered, “I think it’s cruel to an athlete to say that they can’t play in the Olympics just because they leave the national team.” She continued, “Singles and doubles are clearly different, so they shouldn’t strip athletes of their qualifications,” and directly criticized, “The association is blocking everything, and at the same time, they’re neglecting things in the name of freedom.”
Photo = Incheon Airport, Reporter Park Ji-young / Yonhap News
Reporter Kim Jeong-hyeon [email protected]
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2024-08-08 01:08:40
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