![The Badminton Korea Association (BKA) went ahead and cut doubles star Seo Seung Jae from the national team until the end of 2020, which could effectively end the Olympic dream […]](https://www.badzine.net/wp-content/uploads/ngg_featured/20191115_2208_HongKongOpen2019_BPYL2476_rotator.jpg "Seo Seung Jae cut from national team")
The Badminton Korea Association (BKA) went ahead and cut doubles star Seo Seung Jae from the national team until the end of 2020, which could effectively end the Olympic dream for partner Chae Yoo Jung for another 4 years.
The BKA Performance Development Committee met today to rule on the case of Seo Seung Jae, who came under fire for signing a contract with one professional badminton team two days after making a provisional contract with the pro team coached by national team Head Coach Ahn Jae Chang. The decision, reported this evening by Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, will suspend Seo’s national team membership effective tomorrow and lasting until December 31st, 2020.
Naturally, this is a major blow to the 22-year-old Seo, as well as to his partners Chae Yoo Jung and Choi Sol Gyu. Chae, 24, was also exactly 1 ranking place short of qualifying for the Rio Olympics in 2016. She and Shin Baek Cheol were #9 at the end of the Rio qualifying period but to be the second Korean mixed doubles pair, they needed to be in the top 8. As a result, the #18 pair were invited instead. Choi Sol Gyu still has a slim chance of moving into contention for the Tokyo Olympics in mixed doubles with partner Shin Seung Chan but they are currently a whopping 16,000 points short of the competitor they would need to pass.
Yonhap published quotes from various members of the committee, one of whom explained that the debate over what action to take lasted over four hours and that a major issue was the impact on Seo’s two partners. One member suggested that this decision may be followed by an appeal process.
Unlike the recent case of Malaysian players leaving the national team and going independent, it is unknown whether Seo, after suffering a punitive suspension, would be allowed to enter tournaments – particularly the Olympics – as an independent. The BKA has only in the last two years begun entering as independents veteran players who had already left the national team. Currently, the youngest of these is 28 but this was after a long struggle to overturn a BKA rule that stipulated a minimum age for independents.
It is almost certain that come May, the BKA will be asked to accept or decline an invitation for Seo and Chae – who have racked up a secure pile of points. Rejecting this invitation could then lead to a choice between independents Ko Sung Hyun / Eom Hye Won or letting the Olympic spot pass to a European pair. One report this evening in the Korean media says that the BKA intends to rule on that question later, if Seo and his partners have not dropped out of Tokyo qualifying range.
Photos: Badmintonphoto
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I have to say I am very disappointed in this fiasco. Time and time again I see Korean sports tainted by problematic governing bodies. Table Tennis, badminton soccer…the list goes on and on. Sad thing is things will most likely not change because the top brass is always busy filling their pockets.
Wishing all the best for Seo – he was a delight to see play.
Is it not a conflict of interest that National coach Ahn is also coach of a pro team? Or is there a provision that precludes a conflict? Are there other national coaches that also doubles as a pro-league coach? Clearly it would not be logical to penalize Chae and Choi who have worked so hard to earn their qualifications. Perhaps there’s a backdoor deal to punish, then to acquiesce at the appeal.
Clearly there is no provision. I would say it has become increasingly common for national team coaches to not hold domestic team posts as well but there have still been some. I believe the coaches in 2017 were all employed only by the BKA with the exception of Jung Jae Sung and then his replacement Kim Sang Soo. At present, in addition to Ahn, Kim Sang Soo and Jang Young Soo are both also employed as coaches for pro teams. As for Head Coaches, Kim Joong Soo was the Hwasun County team Head Coach for several years while at the helm of the national team but by 2007, he was working only for the BKA. Sung Han Kook started off with two jobs but within a few months of becoming national team Head Coach, he was down to one. Lee Deuk Choon had spent several years as a BKA employee coaching the junior team before he was hired for the national team and he did not have another post at the time and the same was true for Kang Kyung Jin. So basically, from 2007 through 2018, there was almost always a Head Coach who was employed solely by the national team.
I think the Koreans and Japanese BAs have very high professional and moral benchmark. They are willing to forgo the Olympic medals rather than compromise a wrong doing. It’s part of their culture too.
I am curious to know, will he still be able to play the events that he has already entered, like the All England and German Opens?
It’s a good question. In a way, there is a precedent with Lee Dong Keun, who was still a member of the national team when his name was entered for the Malaysia Masters. By the time the draw was done, Lee had withdrawn from the 2020 national team tryouts and yet he still showed up to play in Kuala Lumpur as an independent. This is different in several ways, of course. Lee did not have to partner an existing national team player, for one thing. He also had not broken any BKA rules, that we know of. Also, travelling to KL without national team footing the bill is one thing but travelling to Birmingham and Mülheim is a different story. On the other hand, there is the question of who will be responsible for paying the fines.
I don’t think the national team would be willing to ruin things for Chae Yu Jung and Choi Sol Gyu. I suppose he might pay, after all Olympic Qualification is on the line. I think his XD spot is more or less cemented, it’s MD where he might have to get more points.
Let’s hope he gets to play.
Even in MD, it is a near certainty. Choi/Seo have nearly 60,000 points. To not be invited, they would have to be passed by at least 7 pairs, including Ivanov/Sozonov – who are currently 21,000 points behind even after 18 tournaments – and likely also by Maas/Tabeling, who are 26,000 points behind. I’m not sure we have ever had a ranking list where 13 pairs were up over 60,000 points.
I don’t think Seo Sung Jae would play at any tournament in 2020.
Let’s say the concluded Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020 this week he even didn’t be fielded at all while he’s still on the team list —> https://www.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/clubplayers.aspx?id=AD641BA1-C5A5-4F18-8813-A8384C09D9AD&cid=3
Korea prefer to play the younger pair Kim Won Ho, Na Sung Seung and Wang Chan in that team championships.
I think missing that event was obvious for the BKA. They never send players who are not on the national team to ‘team’ events like that. The only exception was Lee Hyun Il at the Asian Games in 2014. You’ll never see Kim/Lee or Ko/Shin at such an event and the same obviously goes for Seo after he’s been kicked out of the national training centre. More interestingly, Seo has not been withdrawn from the German Open or All England and he is on the list for the India Open. True, the names for the India Open might have been sent in before the decision on February 4th and the BKA might just have forgotten to withdraw. On the other hand, they might be playing it safe in case Seo wins an appeal. The most incredible would be if they are planning to allow Seo to travel at his own expense, compete as an independent, but still play with his national team partners, with whom he has not been able to train. That last option would indeed be a first.
What do you think will happen? Is the association willing to sabotage their own medal hopes by stopping two class pairs?
Hope we don’t see another Momota happen.