Regarding the criticism of the national team and the Badminton Korea Association for their player management immediately after winning the gold medal, Ahn Se-young (22), the 2024 Paris Olympics badminton women’s singles gold medalist, said, “It was not my intention to fight,” and “I just wanted to appeal that I really want to focus on my sports, so I spoke up.”
Ahn met with reporters at Incheon International Airport on the 7th and said, “I have just arrived, and I have not talked to the association or the team yet,” and “I will tell you more details after I discuss it.” Regarding the reason for not attending the badminton medalist press conference held at Korea House and the fact that Badminton Korea Association Chairman Kim Taek-gyu stated that there was no conflict between the association and the players, she said, “I will discuss it and tell you what to do.”
Earlier, Ahn Se-young won the gold medal by defeating China’s He Bingzhao (27) 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) in the women’s singles final at the Paris Olympics on the 5th. Ahn Se-young announced her intention to leave the national team at a press conference immediately after, saying, “The injury was more serious than I thought and I could not fully recover, but I was very disappointed that the national team took the injury too lightly.” Then, on the morning of the 6th, she posted on social media, saying she wanted to talk about player protection, management, and communication, and asked, “Please do not misinterpret it as retirement.”
Ahn Se-young suffered a partial rupture of her knee ligament during the Hangzhou Asian Games finals last October. After returning to Korea, she was diagnosed that she could return to the court after two to six weeks of rehabilitation, but in December of the same year, she was told by another hospital that “it would not get better in a short period of time and that she would have to manage the pain and endure it until the Olympics.” Ahn Se-young said, “The injury was more serious than I thought at the time. However, I was very disappointed in the association for taking it too lightly,” and “I endured it and played from the moment the misdiagnosis (that it was not a serious injury) came out.”
Ahn Se-young did not attend the badminton medalist press conference held at Korea House on the 6th, the day after the revelation. Only Kim Won-ho (25) and Jeong Na-eun (24), who are ranked 8th in the world in the mixed doubles and won silver medals at this competition, attended. The Korea Sports Council said, “Ahn Se-young did not attend of her own accord.” However, when asked by reporters, “Wasn’t it the players’ own will to not attend the press conference?” while returning to Korea via Charles de Gaulle Airport in France on the 7th, Ahn Se-young answered, “They told me to wait for now,” and “They told me not to say anything, but I don’t know what to do right now.”
Kim Taek-gyu, the president of the Korea Badminton Association, said that there was no conflict between the association and the players. While returning to Korea via Incheon International Airport on the 7th, President Kim said, “I have never had a conflict (with the players). I am the president of the association, so if it’s the association, it’s me. There has never been a conflict. (The players) have all played their roles properly. He said, “I will only find out about the parts that were misdiagnosed and put out a press release together.” When asked if he had ordered Ahn Se-young not to attend the Korea House press conference, he said, “I never did that,” and “I also found it strange that she didn’t show up.” 안전놀이터
