Source:REUTERS/JAKUB PORZYCKI
[Saba Sports News] Yesterday, An Se-young, the world’s top-ranked badminton player in women’s singles, departed for Xiamen, China to prepare for the Sudirman Cup team tournament. Since this is the first national team competition under the reorganization of the total coach and coaching staff of South Korea’s national badminton team, the team was expected highly by fans. Before departure, An Se-young said in an interview that Park Joo-bong was like a god of badminton, and she felt honored to learn from him. An Se-young also revealed that she used to view coaches as enemies, but Park Joo-bong is a trustworthy coach, allowing her to play with confidence again. After winning the gold medal in women’s singles at last year’s Paris Olympic Games, An Se-young harshly criticized the leadership and association of South Korean badminton, resulting in the resignation of the association president and a comprehensive reshuffle of the coaching staff. The South Korean Badminton Association hired back Park Joo-bong, who was coaching in Japan, hoping to present a new look. According to records, Park Joo-bong, aged 60, won the men’s doubles gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 and the mixed doubles silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. After retiring from competitive play after the Atlanta Olympics, Park transitioned to coaching, serving as head coach for the British and Malaysian national teams. In 2004, he moved on to the Japanese national team. Throughout his coaching career, Park Joo-bong has never led the South Korean national team.