A significant administrative error by the Korean Shooting Federation has resulted in a national team athlete being unable to compete at the World Championship in Doha, Qatar, prompting criticism from lawmakers.
Rep. Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, held a press conference on November 5, stating, "For Choi Ye-in, a high school senior, this competition was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yet, the federation couldn't even properly register her name."
She added, "The entire South Korean women's 10m air rifle team lost the chance to compete in the team event. Our team had the skills to win, and the federation's careless administrative mistake has robbed them of the opportunity to compete for medals on the international stage."
Rep. Bae criticized the federation for attempting to resolve the situation by placing the responsible staff member on leave, calling it a mere act of scapegoating. "The shooting federation exists to support athletes. If the federation obstructs an athlete's path, it cannot be dismissed as a simple mistake," she asserted, urging the federation's secretary-general to resign over the incident.
Former shooter and current lawmaker Jin Jong-oh also expressed his frustration on Facebook, saying, "I am truly angry and saddened. The athlete has fought countless battles with herself, yet the federation couldn't even perform a final check properly."
He noted that despite the disappointment, Choi Ye-in returned to practice after shedding tears, questioning, "What is the federation doing?"
Jin emphasized that this issue cannot be resolved simply by placing someone on leave, insisting that it must be clarified who was responsible for the oversight and how the athlete's losses will be addressed.
Choi Ye-in traveled to Doha for the World Championship but was unable to compete due to a failure in her registration. A strong performance could have secured her a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The shooting federation reported that the error occurred because the responsible staff member failed to click the save button during the online registration process.
Rep. Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, held a press conference on November 5, stating, "For Choi Ye-in, a high school senior, this competition was likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yet, the federation couldn't even properly register her name."
She added, "The entire South Korean women's 10m air rifle team lost the chance to compete in the team event. Our team had the skills to win, and the federation's careless administrative mistake has robbed them of the opportunity to compete for medals on the international stage."
Rep. Bae criticized the federation for attempting to resolve the situation by placing the responsible staff member on leave, calling it a mere act of scapegoating. "The shooting federation exists to support athletes. If the federation obstructs an athlete's path, it cannot be dismissed as a simple mistake," she asserted, urging the federation's secretary-general to resign over the incident.
Former shooter and current lawmaker Jin Jong-oh also expressed his frustration on Facebook, saying, "I am truly angry and saddened. The athlete has fought countless battles with herself, yet the federation couldn't even perform a final check properly."
He noted that despite the disappointment, Choi Ye-in returned to practice after shedding tears, questioning, "What is the federation doing?"
Jin emphasized that this issue cannot be resolved simply by placing someone on leave, insisting that it must be clarified who was responsible for the oversight and how the athlete's losses will be addressed.
Choi Ye-in traveled to Doha for the World Championship but was unable to compete due to a failure in her registration. A strong performance could have secured her a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The shooting federation reported that the error occurred because the responsible staff member failed to click the save button during the online registration process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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