August 6, 2024
The Olympics, once a symbol of international unity and athletic achievement, has become a platform for authoritarian regimes to exploit their athletes for national pride. The treatment of athletes in these regimes is reminiscent of the Nazi concentration camps, where Jews were treated as political prisoners or forced laborers. The use of performance-enhancing drugs and the manipulation of athletes' careers for the sake of national glory have become all too common. It is high time we need to reconsider the existence of the Olympics game.
A recent example of this exploitation is the case of Ahn Se-young, a 22-year-old South Korean badminton player who won the gold medal in the women's singles event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite her impressive achievement, Ahn has spoken out about the mistreatment she suffered at the hands of the Korea Badminton Association.
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| South Korea's Ahn Se-young kisses her gold medal during the badminton singles medal ceremony at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Arena Porte de Lachapelle on Friday (local time) in Paris, France. PARIS/Newsis |
Ahn Se-young, 22, who won the women's singles gold medal in badminton at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has clarified that she is not talking about a war with anyone, but about protecting athletes after she made a "bombshell" remark to the Badminton Association.
On June 6, Ahn wrote on her social media, "You were all surprised by my interview, which was not what you imagined when you wanted to end the day romantically, right?" "I wanted to enjoy the feeling of finishing my homework, but before I had time to do so, the interview was expanding into another article. My narrative is not an easy one," he wrote.
"I wanted to talk about the management of athletes, but I am hurt again by the articles of the association or the coach who unintentionally blame me," she wrote, adding, "It's not because I'm good, but because athletes should be protected and managed, and I wanted to talk about communication rather than power at some point, but it's sad that it's being played as a provocative article."
"Please understand that I'm not talking about a war with anyone, but about protecting athletes," Ahn said, adding, "Please don't use the word'retirement' to describe it. I hope that there are adults who will think about the things I want to talk about and solve them," she emphasized.
Earlier, Ahn won the gold medal in the women's singles final at the Paris Olympics on Friday with a 2-0 (21-13, 21-16) victory over He Bingjiao (27-China, No. 9). She is the first South Korean to win an Olympic singles gold medal in 28 years, following Soo Hyun Hwang (52) at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
After the match, Ahn expressed her frustration with the federation, saying she had been suffering from persistent knee pain since her injury at the Hangzhou Asian Games. She repeatedly "sniped" at the Korea Badminton Association in the mix zone and press conference after the awards ceremony.
"My knee injury (at last year's Asian Games) was more serious than I thought, but I was very disappointed with the federation for being so complacent," Ahn said at the post-win press conference, "I can't forget that moment (of disappointment with the federation). "I can't forget that moment (when I was disappointed with the federation)," she said.
"I think it's time to look back at the fact that we only won one gold medal (at the Olympics, which was expected to be the best ever)," Ahn said, adding, "I hope this gold medal will help badminton move forward. I hope this gold medal will make badminton more popular," he added.
The Korea Badminton Association will make a statement after meeting with Ahn when the team returns from Paris on July 7. Ahn has reportedly been expressing her dissatisfaction with the organization since last year.
An association official said, "The association provided medical support to Ahn Se-young, including assigning her a separate doctor, but the athlete herself felt that it was not enough," adding, "It is true that she has been expressing her dissatisfaction with the national team activities. The federation also went through the process of meeting with her and making adjustments."
In January of this year, Ahn sent a letter to the federation with her demands and reportedly informed them that she would not be competing in the Olympics.