Korean coaches resign en masse

All 7 coaches of the Korean national badminton team have tendered their resignations to the Badminton Korea Association (BKA), it was revealed in an editorial yesterday in Korean daily the […]

All 7 coaches of the Korean national badminton team have tendered their resignations to the (BKA), it was revealed in an editorial yesterday in Korean daily the Chosun Ilbo.

The editorial, which appeared on Thursday, also mentioned that the BKA’s entire 13-member Performance Development Committee had submitted their resignations at last month’s BKA Council meeting.  The moves are widely seen as reactions to the dismal performance at the recent Asian Games, after which the Korean team returned home without a single badminton medal for the first time in 40 years.

Of course, the Korean team’s woes go beyond the Asian Games.  From 21 major (Grand Prix and above) titles in 2016, Korea went down to 11 last year and so far in 2018, only 1 Super 100 and 2 Super 300 titles have gone to members of the Korean national team.  Shortly before the Asian Games, former world #1 Kim Ha Na, who had accounted for 3 of Korea’s titles last year, added her name to the list of retired stars.  In the last two months, four players who left the national team after the Rio Olympics – Ko Sung Hyun, Shin Baek Cheol, Lee Yong Dae and Kim Gi Jung – have accounted for 3 more international finals and two titles.  These were only made possible after Ko and Shin took legal action to force the BKA to enter the players in tournaments as independent players.

The Chosun Ilbo editorial explains that the current coaching staff will continue to work with the national team until at least after the two Super 750 events in Europe later this month.  No official announcement has been made yet by the BKA.

Photo: Badmintonphoto

To read the full article (in Korean) – the title of which translates to “Crisis-stricken Korean badminton cuts off own tail?…Fundamental measures needed” – visit the Chosun Ilbo website

 

Don Hearn

About Don Hearn

Don Hearn is an Editor and Correspondent who hails from a badminton-loving town in rural Canada. He joined the Badzine team in 2006 to provide coverage of the Korean badminton scene and is committed to helping Badzine to promote badminton to the place it deserves as a global sport. Contact him at: don @ badzine.net