Times have changed, but the mindset of the elders of the Korean Olympic Committee still seems to be stuck in the past 30 years.
The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games wrap-up press conference was held at the Korean Olympic Committee’s Sports Diplomacy Lounge at a hotel in Hangzhou, China, on Aug. 8. Taking the microphone, Korea Olympic Committee President Lee Ki-heung reflected on the Hangzhou Asian Games and laid out a blueprint for the future of Korean athletics.
“I wonder if we have been too complacent,” he said, “and we have done very poorly in our traditionally strong speculative sports, and I think we need to think about how to set the direction.
Lee continued, “The trend of sports among young people is changing, including e-sports, breakdancing, and skateboarding. We need to prepare from a mid- to long-term perspective,” he said. “We plan to strengthen our international business, investigate good practices overseas, and strengthen our professional staff. If we are complacent about the current situation, it will be very hard and difficult to recover. We need to start preparing now.”
When asked why some of the sports that were once called filial powers, such as judo and wrestling, are not doing well, Lee said, “Athletes don’t want to train for physical fitness these days. That’s the reality. We can’t force them to do it. If it gets a little worse, there is even talk of human rights.” He expressed his regret.
“We can’t do it the old way. It’s definitely something that needs to be revisited as the population is declining and it’s hard to find athletes.”
At the end of the press conference, Lee said, “The Paris Olympics are really close. When I return to Korea, I will think about how to strategize about this,” he said, adding, “Next year, I will have the national athletes undergo Marine Corps drill before entering the athletes’ village. I will join them.”
While saying, “We shouldn’t do it the old way,” Lee admitted that he has a pre-modern mindset that emphasizes mental strength.
Earlier, on the morning of August 24, the KOC held the D-30 media day for the Korean team for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Champion House in Jincheon National Sports Complex.
The event was attended by the President of the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) Lee Ki-heung, Asian Games President Choi Yoon, and Jang Jae-geun, as well as famous athletes and coaches from various sports, including Kim Woo-jin (archery), Kim Woo-min (swimming), Shin Yubin (table tennis), and Koo Bon-gil (fencing), who expressed their commitment to the upcoming Asian Games.
From the 2002 Busan Games to the 2014 Incheon Games, South Korea always finished in second place. However, at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, the country slipped to third place with just 49 gold medals. The country won 79 gold medals in Incheon in 2014, a drop of 30 in just four years.
“At the last Jakarta-Palembang, we emphasized the autonomy of the athletes. However, our ranking dropped a lot in this tournament,” he said, adding that he was worried and made changes to improve their performance 스포츠토토.
“We made the early morning workout compulsory, which we had left up to the athletes, to strengthen their mental strength. “We also revived mountain training, which is done once every two weeks, to strengthen mental strength, such as training concentration and the mindset of the athletes. We’re also shutting down the Wi-Fi in the athletes’ village from midnight to 5am. This is the time when the athletes need to rest.”
Jang Jae-geun, head of the athletes’ village, added, “The athletes use single rooms. It is difficult to check whether they are resting or not. We don’t want internet problems to interfere with the next training session. We are controlling the internet for a limited time during the Asian Games to adjust our biological rhythm.”
While it’s good to increase training volume to improve performance, banning Wi-Fi doesn’t mean you can’t use your phone. If anything, it creates a backlash. Some athletes have reacted with disbelief, saying, “I didn’t realize it was restricted, I have an unlimited data plan and I don’t have a problem using my phone (even with the restrictions).”
Marine Corps extreme training and Wi-Fi restrictions. It’s a good indication of what the elders of the KFA are thinking. They need to get rid of their stupid mindset before they can make decisions about the future of Korean sports.
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