Source: REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
[Saba Sports News]Kim Dong-moon, chairman of South Korea’s Badminton Association, recently announced a significant piece of news during an interview with the media, stating that players are now allowed to sign individual sponsorship deals. Kim Dong-moon said, “Just yesterday, we formally announced to the players that they can now sign personal sponsorship contracts. We expect this move not only to provide more motivation for national team players to strive harder on the court but also to serve as an inspiration for young athletes.” This announcement immediately attracted attention from outside the circle, as this decision breaks with the decades-long “equipment monopoly” tradition in South Korean sports, resulting in a direct loss of approximately 2 billion won in main sponsor Yonex contract revenue for the South Korean Badminton Association. The editor believes that top players have the opportunity to earn substantial sponsorships based on their own influence, increasing their income. For star players like An Se-young, they can achieve more lucrative economic returns through partnerships with their preferred brands, improving their living conditions and allowing them to focus more on training and competitions.