Ahn Se-young won the gold medal by beating He Bing Zhao (21-13 21-16) in the women’s singles final at the 2024 Paris Olympics held at Port Drachapel Stadium in France at 5:55 p.m. on the 5th (Korea time).
This is the first time in 28 years that Ahn has won a gold medal in women’s singles in Korean badminton since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. “It’s been 28 years since I won a gold medal here. I didn’t cry when I won the gold medal,” said Ahn.
Ahn Se-young won the gold medal around her neck, and Su Soo-hyun moved to congratulate her. Ahn and Su had conversations with bright smiles. Ahn posted the photo with Su on her SNS account. It was a meaningful moment for her.
Ahn, however, later made a bombshell remark. She complained to the Korean Badminton Association, saying, “I can no longer play with the national team.” She even expressed her desire to leave the national team and play badminton as an individual.
The scandal has snowballed exponentially. The Badminton Korea Association (KBA) released a 10-page statement on Tuesday to put out the controversy, but the controversy did not abate. Against this backdrop, even “Legend” Bae Soo-hyun opened his mouth, drawing keen attention.
In an interview with the Sunday Newspaper on the 9th, Soo Soo-hyun said, “After An Se-young was injured at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, she prepared for the Paris Olympics and participation in international competitions while not recovering. It must have been a really difficult process,” but added, “For the first time ever, the association also allowed An Se-young a personal trainer. I understand that she took a lot of consideration for Ahn Se-young’s physical condition.”
“The closer we look at the situation, the more we will find out how special the association took care of Ahn Se-young,” he said. “As Ahn Se-young, he would have tried to raise the issue of the association’s absurdity or protection of national team players when his words were strengthened after winning the gold medal, but it was a pity that the hard work of the partners, coaches, and trainers who helped Ahn Se-young was overlooked.”
Lastly, she said, “How hard is it to play as a member of the national team? It’s not just Ahn Se-young who is struggling. All players play under the national flag in such an environment,” adding, “I went through all those times when I joined the national team at an early age. I don’t think anyone pushed the national team.”
In that he conveyed his thoughts and beliefs, Su is not at fault. However, he is a third party in this matter. The association and Ahn Se-young are the parties involved. In this case, a word from a badminton legend should be cautious. As a third party, it could cause damage to the person concerned.
In particular, Ahn Se-young is shocked by the remarks made by her senior and senior player who gave her a warm smile after winning the gold medal. Ahn Se-young, who is going through a hard time, could be hurt even more.
Korean badminton legend Soo Soo-hyun and successor Ahn Se-young. They are like treasures of Korean badminton. The disagreement between Ahn and the association is not the end. They can solve the problem through dialogue and find improvement. To do this, he needed to be a bridgehead for “legend.” Rather, he scolded Ahn. Ahn was the only one who made such remarks sad. Ahn needed a more cautious approach.
BY: 안전놀이터