An Se of South Korea plays a shot against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan during the women's singles badminton match at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang province, Dec. 12. AP-Yonhap
South Korean badminton star An Se-young claimed Tuesday she doesn't regret criticizing the sport's national federation for its shoddy operations immediately after winning her Olympic gold medal in Paris, saying she would have done the same even if she hadn't won.
In a video posted on the official YouTube channel of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), An said, "Honestly, I didn't think my words would create such a stir."
After capturing the women's singles title in Paris on Aug. 5, An fired shots at the Badminton Korea Association (BKA) and the national team staff for their poor management of her knee injury from the previous year and other archaic practices that she deemed unfair to athletes.
Coming from one of South Korea's most popular Olympians, An's words sparked outrage and compelled the sports ministry to open a probe into the BKA's operations. On Oct. 31, the ministry announced it would ask police to investigate BKA President Kim Taek-gyu over misappropriation charges and demanded Kim's dismissal.
"I don't really regret what I did," An said. "I would have said those words whether I won or lost (in the final)."
However, An admitted that she regretted not being fully celebrated as the Olympic champion because of the controversy.
"After winning the Olympic medal, I took a lot of criticism," said An, who once apologized to fellow athletes for stealing the spotlight from them during the Olympics.
"I went through a difficult period because I ended up becoming someone who exposed problems," An continued. "I only wanted to see some issues addressed so that things could move in a better direction."
An said she is doing better now than four months ago and added, "I was able to get back on my feet thanks to help from a lot of people."
Still just 22 years old, An said she wants to return to enjoying the competition again.
"Right now, I only want to have fun and make good plays in each and every match," An said. "I want to be a legend in badminton."
She seems well on her way. Last Tuesday, An was named the BWF's Women's Singles Player of the Year for the second straight year. (Yonhap)