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[스포츠서울 | 김경무전문기자] ‘An annual salary of 1 billion won in 3 years.’ As a badminton coach, this is a very special contract.
Kang Kyung-jin (49), former coach of the Korean badminton team, who served as the women’s doubles coach for the Chinese badminton team for regarding two years, but whose contract expired following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in August of last year. It was confirmed that he received special treatment three times more than he was the manager of the Korean team and became the leader of the Chinese national team once more.
A high-ranking official of the Korea Badminton Association said on the 22nd, “Ex-Manager Kang Kyung-jin received repeated love calls from Chairman Jang Jun of the China Badminton Association, and following thinking regarding it, the Chinese side agreed to give him a salary according to his request, and he accepted it and left for China on the 10th.”
After the Tokyo Olympics, former coach Kang Kyung-jin returned to Korea without packing properly for time and rest with his family despite China’s request to remain on the national team, but it was confirmed that he eventually accepted the request of Chairman Jang Jun.
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Chairman Jang Jun is a former Chinese national badminton player who, together with Gaolin, won gold medals in mixed doubles at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics. Kim Dong-moon and Na Kyung-min of Korea gave up their dreams of gold medals at the time because of them.
Former coach Kang Kyung-jin said in a phone call with this magazine on the 10th of last month, “Chairman Jang Joon knew that I was resting in Korea and kept contacting me to take over as a coach through other channels. A final decision will be made in February.”
Chairman Jang is known to have actively recruited Hallyu leaders, contrary to the coaching style in which the Korean national team leaders enthusiastically teach players by throwing shuttlecocks directly from the ball box during training. Choi Min-ho (42), former coach of the Korean national team, also joined the Chinese team.
Former coach Kang has coached Qianqingchen-Jiawipan, who were ranked second in the world rankings, with the Chinese women’s doubles national team since September 2019, and they won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Qianqingcheon-Jiayupan shattered their dream of gold medal in the quarterfinals, losing 2-0 (21-15, 21-11) to world 5th placed Kim So-young and Gong Hee-yong, whom former coach Kang had coached while leading the Korean team.
In this regard, former coach Kang said in a phone call with this magazine, “We met our players at the stadium, but I was sorry that I mightn’t see their faces. It hurts my heart so much.”
From January 2017 to November 2018, former coach Kang took charge of the Korean badminton team and reached the climax as a leader by leading the Sudirman Cup (2017 World Badminton Mixed Team Championships). However, he was sacked from the Korean Badminton Association due to the poor performance of the Korean team at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang.
As former coach Kang will once more lead Qianqingchen-Jiayupan, who is currently number one in the world rankings, once more, at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou in September 2022, he will have his students Kim So-Young and Gong Hee-Yong (3rd in the world) and Shin Seung-Chan and Lee So-Hee (2nd in the world). It was fate that we had to meet enemies on the court. kkm100@sportsseoul.com
