Jincheon: Park Joo-bong, head coach of the South Korean national badminton team, has expressed his commitment to alleviating the pressure on his athletes as they prepare for the upcoming Asian Games.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park made this statement after learning about the medal targets set by the Badminton Korea Association (BKA), which aims for the team to secure three gold medals, one silver, and two bronze at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. This target falls just short of South Korea's record at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, where they achieved the highest number of gold medals.
During a press conference at the Jincheon National Training Center, Park acknowledged the challenge but remained optimistic. "I would be thrilled if we do meet these numbers. We performed so well at the last Asian Games and will try to at least match that success," he stated. In 2023, at the Hangzhou Asian Games, South Korea secured two golds, two silvers, and three bronze medals, ranking behind China in both gold and total medal counts.
Park emphasized that he does not want his athletes to be burdened by the expectations. "The primary goal is to help my players perform to the best of their abilities," Park said. "Good results will naturally follow if they focus on playing their best badminton and not chase numbers."
As a former badminton player with numerous accolades, including eight medals from Asian Games, Park is no stranger to pressure. He equates the Asian Games' level of competition and pressure to that of the Olympics, given that many top players come from Asia. His strategy is to encourage athletes to treat the Asian Games as a regular international event to manage stress better.
Park also suggests athletes revisit highlights of their best matches to boost confidence. "This will help turn pressure into confidence," he concluded.
Source: Yonhap News Agency