Source: REUTERS/Ruben Sprich
[Saba Sports News] According to multiple Korean media reports, including Yonhap News Agency, Park Joo Bong, who left his position as head coach of the Japanese badminton team last year, has applied for the head coach position of the Korean badminton team. A person involved in the Korean Badminton Association revealed that, including Park, there are two candidates applying for the head coach position. The association will select the suitable candidate through an interview within this week. Park Joo Bong, born in 1964, won the men’s doubles gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the mixed doubles silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and nine All England Badminton Championships doubles titles, five World Championship titles, earning him the nickname “God of Doubles” from fans. In 1996, Park Joo Bong announced his retirement. After retiring, he was invited by the British Badminton Association to train mixed doubles players Simon Archer and Joanne Goode, helping them win the 1999 All England Badminton Championships and the World Badminton Championships runner-up. In October 1999, Park joined the Malaysian team, under whose guidance, Malaysian men’s doubles pairs Chan Chong Ming and Chew Choon Eng, as well as Lee Wan Wah and Choong Tan Fook, both reached the World Badminton Championships quarterfinals in 2001; Chan Chong Ming and Chew Choon Eng even briefly held the No. 1 spot in the world rankings. After the 2004 Athens Olympics, Park Joo Bong officially became the coach of the Japanese badminton team, a position he held until 2024.