Kim Taek-kyu, president of the Badminton Korea Association, said he would listen to Ahn Se-young’s voice.
According to Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday, Chairman Kim said at the Mokpo Gymnasium where the World Badminton Federation (BWF) World Tour Super 500 Korea Open opened, “The customs of old generations as a whole should be eliminated. For example, we need to revise all regulations on selection, sponsorship and contracts for the national team. The top priority is to make it easier for athletes to play for the national team.”
It is the first time that Chairman Kim Taek-kyu has been interviewed face-to-face by a media outlet since Ahn Se-young made remarks after winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on May 5. At the time, Ahn criticized the Badminton Korea Association for its poor support of athletes, poor management of injuries and unfair practices. Notably, he requested the selection of national team members and the review of regulations related to sponsorship and contracts.
“How much (Korea) does it mean that Ahn Se-young made such a remark even after winning the gold medal?” Chairman Kim Taek-kyu said. “Although the term of the association’s president is not far away, we will do our best to improve the system. We will review all of Ahn’s opinions.”
“The overall trend should be the same as that of the member organizations of the Korea Sports Association. It is not for me to judge everything by myself,” Chairman Kim said. “If an agreement (on improving the system) is reached, no matter where it is, whether it is the National Assembly, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, or the Korea Sports Association, improvement should be made accordingly.”
When asked about the lack of sponsorship from the association’s executives, Chairman Kim Taek-kyu said, “I don’t know when the Badminton Association started, but it has never been (a sponsor). It will be solved if the association imposes contributions on executives,” adding, “When I came to the association, (the sponsor) was almost all set. Now we have to change to give more money.” 메이저놀이터
In addition, Chairman Kim thoroughly drew a line on his corruption and bribery allegations. Regarding the suspicion that he received 30 percent of the total through a back-end contract while buying shuttlecocks as a government project, he explained, “I received it as a sponsorship item, and I received legal interpretation from my lawyer at the time that there was no problem.”
Regarding the allegation that he verbally abused some employees, Chairman Kim Taek-kyu said, “I was wrong to shout out loud. If I hurt myself by swearing, I should apologize.” On the suspicion that he received rebates from souvenir makers, Chairman Kim Taek-kyu said, “It is not true.”
Meanwhile, Chairman Kim Taek-kyu, a former sports athlete, claimed that elite athletes who make up the majority of the board of directors of the Badminton Association interfered with the administration. “My opinion has never been accepted at every board meeting. The incompetent chairman has come to understand the inconvenience of the players due to Ahn’s words,” he said. “We don’t have enough time to discuss what to improve on Ahn’s remarks, but they are still not interested in it and are just making slanderous remarks. It is time for elite athletes to come up with alternatives instead of doing that.”