An Se-young used her platform after winning an Olympic gold medal in badminton to criticize her home country’s federation.
Se-young defeated China’s He Bingjiao in the badminton gold medal match, then turned her attention to the Korea Badminton Federation, which she says is letting her down.
“I think it may be difficult to continue with the national team after this moment,” Se-young said after her win, news.au.com reported.
Se-young claims that the national federation has been “neglecting” her and says that after she suffered a knee injury last October during the Asian Games, there was a lack of support from the federation.
“I was very disappointed (with the association) during my injury. I really can’t get over those moments,” Se-young told reporters.
South Korea’s badminton gold medallist An Se-young attacked her own federation on Tuesday
This happened just after she triumphed in the women’s singles tournament over China’s He Bingjiao.
The 22-year-old addressed the issue ahead of the start of the games on her Instagram account with her 302,000 followers.
“After the Asian Games, I was initially told I would need 2-6 weeks of rehabilitation before returning, but as the pain did not subside, I visited a different clinic after the Tour Finals in December,” Se-young wrote.
‘The new diagnosis revealed that the partial tear in my patellar tendon would not heal quickly and that I would need to manage the pain and maintain the injury until the Olympics.’
She added that she was forced to focus on “adjusting to the pain and preparing for the Olympics, rather than on the immediate results of the competition.”
The decision to sue the federation has prompted South Korea’s sports ministry to investigate Se-young’s allegations.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Sports Ministry said it will obtain “accurate facts as soon as the Olympic Games conclude” and “review the need for appropriate improvement measures based on the findings.”
The statement also said it would “examine whether there are areas for improvement in athlete management in other sports as well.”
Se-young says South Korea’s badminton federation has been “neglecting” her
Speaking to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, Se-young criticised the federation for failing to “train in a way that prevents injuries or take appropriate measures if an injury occurs.”
“I found my motivation in my anger as I set my goals and pursued my dreams,” Se-young told Yonhap, according to news.au.com.
“I wanted my voice to be heard. In a way, my dream was to have a ‘voice’.”
