Ahn Se-young takes off her ‘blister shoes’… Badminton Association “Allow temporary, limited, and exceptional competition autonomy”

Ahn Se-young of Samsung Life Insurance in Busan competes with Yu-jin Shim at Incheon International Airport in Incheon. Yonhap News” width=”800″ height=”592″ style=”width:100%;height:auto;”/>

The badminton preliminaries for the ‘105th National Sports Festival’ were held at Miryang Badminton Stadium in Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 9th. Ahn Se-young of Samsung Life Insurance in Busan competes with Yu-jin Shim at Incheon International Airport in Incheon. Yonhap News

(Xports News Reporter Jo Eun-hye) Badminton player Ahn Se-young (22, Samsung Life Insurance) will not wear shoes from the national team sponsor for the time being, as she felt uncomfortable wearing them.

The Korea Badminton Association said in a press release on the 14th, “Through previous discussions, the Korea Badminton Association and Yonex will provide a ‘temporary and limited’ contract for Ahn Se-young’s competition shoes from the Denmark Open, which begins on the 15th, until negotiations on contract changes are completed. and decided to allow ‘exceptional’ autonomy.”

The Badminton Association said, “This decision takes into account the improvement of Ahn Se-young’s performance and the development of Korean sports as the top priority, as well as public opinion expressed after the Paris Olympics, various opinions expressed during the National Assembly hearing, and the opinions of various sports officials and player Ahn Se-young. “It is a measure that comprehensively takes into consideration,” he explained.

The association’s regulations state, “When training and participating in competitions as a national representative, you must use competition uniforms and competition equipment designated by the association.” However, Ahn Se-young complained of the inconvenience of wearing shoes from the national team sponsor during training. On the 24th of last month, a photo of Ahn Se-young’s sole blisters was revealed in a question asked by the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on pending issues, and the association’s president Taek-gyu Kim, who attended the question on pending issues at the time, promised to “change” the related regulations.

The badminton preliminaries for the ‘105th National Sports Festival’ were held at Miryang Badminton Stadium in Miryang-si, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 9th. Ahn Se-young of Samsung Life Insurance in Busan competes with Yu-jin Shim at Incheon International Airport in Incheon. Yonhap News

The Badminton Association forces the use of only sponsors’ supplies, including not only uniforms but also rackets and shoes that are directly related to athletic performance. According to a survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, among 44 other domestic Olympics and Asian Games, players are allowed to use sponsors’ supplies without exception. The only cases where it was mandatory were badminton and boxing.

The association said, “The Korea Badminton Association, Yonex of Japan, and Yonex Korea have been sufficiently collecting these opinions with an open attitude and have been thinking about how they can improve and communicate for the development of Korea and Korean sports through continuous discussion and consultation.” He said.

He continued, “Of course, the national team sponsorship contract must be respected. However, there is room for partial, limited, or temporary modification depending on changes in circumstances. Therefore, we will do our best to develop customized competition shoes that can satisfy Ahn Se-young, while also doing our best to help the rest.” “The Korean Badminton Association and Yonex are in the process of careful discussions on various issues raised after the Paris Olympics, including the selection of equipment for all national team players,” he said.

Lastly, the association said, “We will do our best to find an appropriate balance between improving players’ performance and protecting their rights and the development of sports in Korea and business.”
The Korea Badminton Association and Yonex will do their best to develop badminton in Korea and improve the performance of national players from their respective positions, and sometimes together. “And we will humbly accept the concerns and advice of the public with an open attitude and find ways to improve,” he added.

Ahn Se-young is leaving the country through Incheon International Airport to participate in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 750 Denmark Open on the morning of the 13th. Yonhap News

Photo = Yonhap News

Reporter Jo Eun-hye [email protected]