Chairman Lee Ki-heung, why did you do the Marine Corps camp

“Can you do it well?” “Ah!”

This is a scene from the “One Team Korea Camp,” which was briefly disclosed to the media at Homigot Square in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday morning. The team members in uniform answered the assistant’s question in the Marine Corps style.

Team Korea is participating in the One Team Korea camp that will take place at the 1st Division of the Pohang Marine Corps for two nights and three days from July 18 to 20. Woo Sang-hyuk, who finished his military service in the Korean Armed Forces, and female athletes Ansan and Yeo Seo-jeong, respectively, entered the camp. A total of 500 athletes, including some 400 officials from various associations and the Korean Olympic Committee, participated in the camp.

The one-team Korea camp was held after Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Korea Sports Council, vowed to implement it at the disbandment ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games national team in October. At that time, Chairman Lee Ki-heung criticized the mental strength of players who were reluctant to even train early in the morning, pointing out that there were many shortcomings in the game of the Korean team, which ranked third overall after China and Japan. “All the national teams, including myself, will receive Marine Corps training,” he said.

Then, the public criticized the camp, saying, “It is an outdated idea” and “Do you think about the risk of injury to players?” As if aware of the remarks, the KOC explained that the camp is not an extreme physical training but a mental strength training program focused on lectures. “It can be seen as a workshop where representative players can unite and strengthen their minds in a new environment,” said a KOC official.

If the workshop focused on lectures, it was worth considering several other methods. The reason why they chose the Marine Corps camp seems to be the message of the older generation to strengthen their mental strength while experiencing the coercive atmosphere of “military” and an environment where freedom is limited.

It is also at this point that many people who watch the one-team Korea camp feel rejected. There was no discussion before, but Chairman Lee Ki-heung said something close to a bombshell at the official ceremony of the disbandment of the Asian Games, saying, “I’m sending you the Marine Corps training.” Since then, even though there has been quite a controversy, I haven’t heard that I’ve received feedback from participants or listened to opposition.

“We didn’t push ahead with the camp,” Chairman Lee Ki-heung told reporters. However, young players I met at the camp seemed very reluctant to participate in the Marine Corps training. It is said that he was very worried about a three-day training absence at the camp. In most cases, Chairman Lee’s intention seems to be far greater than that of the participants. It seems to be the result of Chairman Lee’s one-way traffic.

Since taking office, Chairman Lee Ki-heung has been in sharp conflict with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. He protested, saying, “The organizing committee of the Chungcheong Summer Universiade Games to be held in 2027 does not reflect the opinions of the sports association.” He also protested, saying, “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism does not approve the creation of an office for the sports association in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is headquartered.” Furthermore, Chairman Lee protested, saying, “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been conducting administrative activities that hinder development without knowing much about sports sites,” and after demanding participation in the protest, he received a great response from sportspeople.

Chairman Lee Ki-heung’s argument for a “sports cause” is persuasive enough. Arguments to form the National Sports Commission, a separate body from the government ministries, are also gaining momentum. However, he should also be aware that such arguments could lose their persuasive power if they appear to be unilateral and overbearing in conducting the livelihood of the sports association. While it is necessary to directly persuade sportsmen and politicians when delivering the claims of the sports association regarding policies, it is also very important to win public sympathy.

Many people think that it is not the chairman of the Korea Sports Council but the leaders of the field to decide on the mental strength of the players and detailed training methods. It is applaudable for the chairman of the sports council to draw a big picture on Korean sports and create a channel for direct negotiations with the government, but if the chairman suddenly throws up a tantrum and tries to directly interfere with the mental strength of the 20-year-old players, side effects such as the fall of the image of the sports club and the loss of consensus will be great.

A documentary about the story of the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, “Redim Team: Back to Dream Team,” shows a behind-the-scenes story of how coach Mike Shusevski controls the mentality of NBA stars who show arrogant attitudes. 사설 토토사이트

In this case, West Point graduate Shusevskiy brings together his representative players to take the lecture. The lecturer is an American soldier who was dispatched to Iraq. A soldier who lost his sight after throwing himself for a colleague during an operation and a bomb exploded is proud of his job sacrificing for his country. NBA stars, who are blind but still sitting in uniform, shed tears and confess that they will think again about the meaning of being a part of Team USA.

The current mental strength education in 2023 requires athletes receiving it and even ordinary fans who hear the story to be shaken. Even without Chairman Lee Ki-heung coming forward, the level of leaders in Korean sports is sufficient to induce such motivation. And even if this is not the case, the head of the sports venue should fully trust the leader in regards to training.