Seo Seung Jae suspension postponed by BKA

Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported today that doubles star Seo Seung Jae will be able to serve his suspension after the Tokyo Olympics.

World #6 Seo Seung Jae, who was handed an 11-month suspension from the Korean national badminton team earlier this month, has been granted a stay of suspension.  The Badminton Korea Association (BKA) suspended Seo from training with the national team for making contracts with two professional badminton teams.

The pro teams to which Seo’s partners Choi Sol Gyu and Chae Yoo Jung belong appealed the decision, arguing that punishing Seo had severe consequences on two players who were faultless in the matter, the Yonhap report said.  In consideration of the impact on Choi and Chae, the BKA altered its decision to allow Seo to continuing playing with the national team and accept a suspension after the completion of the Olympic Games.

The Yonhap report went on to say that it had summoned national team Head Coach Ahn Jae Chang to answer Seo’s claim that he exerted undue pressure to get the player to sign with the Incheon Airport team, of which Ahn is also the Head Coach.  Ahn apparently denied the charge but the Yonhap article says the BKA will let the courts deal with the question of whether there was coercion.

No doubt in anticipation of the appeals process, the BKA did not withdraw Seo Seung Jae’s partnerships from the upcoming major badminton tournaments he had already been entered in.  In fact, he is slated to play in the German, All England, and India Opens in March.  Since being expelled from the national training centre on February 5th, Seo has been training with his new Samsung Electromechanics team at their training facility.

Photo: Badmintonphoto