National Taekwondo coach Choi Young Seok was given a hero’s welcome last night, a week after controversy erupted over allegations he struck one of his athletes.
“If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t punish her,” Choi said this morning in an interview with Morning News.
The 40-year-old coach from South Korea spoke to local media for the first time this morning regarding the accusation by Roongrawee Kurasa, 23, that he punched her several times in the face and stomach after the athlete lost in the Chuncheon Korea Open two weeks ago.
“I was more like ‘disciplining’ her,” Coach Choi said. “I didn’t punish her because she lost, but I genuinely think she can do better especially when she’s going to compete in the upcoming Asian Games too. However, my punishment wasn’t as hard as what she claimed. It was ‘gentle hitting.’”
He’s been hurt much more as her coach, he added.
“We’re athletes, and I have trained her and sparred with her,” Choi said. “That was even more physically hurting.”
Roongrawee reportedly arrived late for a match due to miscommunication and did not get a chance to warm up. She ended up losing to South Korea 6-12.
An assistant coach said that was probably just a mistake, and Roongrawee may have just missed her name when it was called.
“Athletes usually have to report themselves at the registration and wait to be escorted by the stadium’s staff to the warm-up station and finally the court,” assistant coach Chadchawarn Kaolaor said. “Coaches weren’t allowed to accompany the athletes.”
“It was the first day of the competition, and there were a lot of athletes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Choi said he talked to Roongrawee privately after the punishment and thought the matter was settled.
“I felt bad. I’m a teacher. I don’t want to argue with my student, and I want this quarrel to end,” he said. “After I punished her, I apologized and talked to her privately for a half an hour. We shook hands. We hugged. And I said I didn’t want her to leave early because I wanted to train her for the Asian games while we were in South Korea, but she left.”
Asked what he’d say to Roongrawee now, Choi said he cared about the athlete.
“I felt sorry for what happened. I’m her coach and her teacher,” he said. “She did well in practice, and she has been great. I know she will have a great future. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t punish her. I hope she continues to compete.”
Warning: Video contains Sorayuth and nearly 24 minutes of a teal-shirted, softball questions.
