[EDITORIALS]Skating Union is a mess

The acts that happened at the welcoming ceremony of the national short track speed skating team last Tuesday were not only disgraceful, but also makes us feel skeptical about sports on a more fundamental level.
The ceremony turned into a mess after the father of Ahn Hyun-soo ― who won three gold medals at the Torino Winter Olympics ― displayed violence while quarreling with the vice chairman of the Korea Skating Union, Kim Hyung-beom.
Mr. Kim claimed that he would sue the skater’s father and Ahn wrote on the Internet that he wanted to quit. The people who were watching television must have felt utterly discouraged and betrayed.
It is nothing new that the national short-track team has a problem. Athletes who train under different coaches reportedly do not speak to each other or have meals together.
Where is the sportsmanship? What can young students learn from these athletes and coaches?
The Korea Skating Union must also realize [its wrongdoings] and reflect. It should reshuffle the current system in which two coaches look over the national team. It should select one coach and fundamentally block creation of tension between “factions” created within. If the national short track team does not have the ability to purify itself, it may be better off being scrapped.
The family of the athletes should also refrain from excessive intervention, although their acts may be triggered by the fact that short-track speedskating in Korea is a sport that ensures success once the athlete becomes a national representative. Ahn’s father should be strictly dealt with for his riotous acts so that such events never happen again.