Incheon sports council disciplines 3 officials over National Sports Festival errors
In short
The Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council said it will heavily discipline three officials over administrative errors that kept some athletes out of the 107th National Sports Festival. It decided to demote the official who mishandled athlete change registrations, suspend a team leader for three months and cut a department head's pay for three months, after a women's soft tennis team was registered with five players instead of six and a golf player change was missed. The council said the penalties are not final because those disciplined can seek a retrial.
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The Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council said on Oct. 5 that three of its officials will face heavy disciplinary measures over administrative errors that kept some athletes from competing in the 107th National Sports Festival, Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
The council's disciplinary committee voted to demote the staff member in charge of athlete change registration, identified as A, for failing to properly handle the work ahead of the festival. Team leader B, who did not catch the error, received a three-month suspension, and department head C, who was responsible for management and oversight of the department, received a three-month pay reduction. [ 2 , 3 ]
According to the reports, A and others registered only five players instead of six while changing the lineup for a women's soft tennis doubles event. Soft tennis teams must register six players with the Korea Sports Council to be eligible for team and individual singles and doubles events, so with five registered the team could not take part, Yonhap reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
In the women's high school golf event, the player change requested by the Incheon City Golf Association was not processed in time. A relatively higher-ranked player's entry was cancelled and a lower-ranked player competed as a result, the reports said. [ 2 , 3 ]
A sports council official said the heavy penalties were decided “in light of the irreversible damage caused to athletes who prepared hard.” The official added that those disciplined can request a retrial and can file a suit objecting to the retrial result, so the discipline has not been finalised. [ 2 , 3 ]
The 107th National Sports Festival is scheduled to be held in Jeju from Oct. 16 to 22, Hankook Ilbo reported. Kukmin Ilbo carried an early headline on the disciplinary action, and Newsis also reported the penalties later the same day. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The case concerns a national festival at which athletes lost their chance to compete because of registration paperwork, and the council's decision sets out how it apportions responsibility among the staff involved. Because the penalties can still be appealed, the outcome for the three officials is not settled. It is a domestic sports-administration matter with limited direct effect outside South Korea.
Key facts
- The Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council decided heavy disciplinary measures against three officials over errors in athlete registration for the National Sports Festival. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The official in charge of athlete change registration, identified as A, was demoted; team leader B received a three-month suspension and department head C a three-month pay reduction. [ 2 , 3 ]
- During a change to the women's soft tennis doubles lineup, five players were registered instead of six, and the team could not take part. [ 2 , 3 ]
- In the women's high school golf event, a player change was not processed in time, so a higher-ranked player did not compete and a lower-ranked player did. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The council said the discipline is not final because those affected can request a retrial and file an objection suit against its result. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The 107th National Sports Festival is scheduled to run Oct. 16-22 in Jeju. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council said three of its officials will face heavy discipline over errors in athlete registration for the National Sports Festival. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The official in charge of athlete change registration, identified as A, was demoted; team leader B received a three-month suspension and department head C a three-month pay reduction. [ 2 , 3 ]
- In the women's soft tennis doubles, only five players were registered instead of the required six, and the team could not compete. [ 2 , 3 ]
- In the women's high school golf event, a player change was not processed in time, so a higher-ranked player did not compete and a lower-ranked player did. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The council said the discipline is not final, since those disciplined can seek a retrial and file an objection suit against the retrial result. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the penalties take effect as decided. The council said the three officials can request a retrial and can file a suit objecting to its result, so the disciplinary action is described as not final.
- Which athletes and teams were directly affected. The documents describe the categories involved, a women's soft tennis doubles team and a women's high school golf entry, but do not identify the athletes or schools.
- When and where the disciplinary committee met, and whether the affected athletes or their teams have any recourse. The documents say the council announced the decisions on Oct. 5 but give no further procedural details or comment from the athletes.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kukmin Ilbo publishes a headline saying administrative errors dashed National Sports Festival hopes and that Incheon City Sports Council officials face heavy discipline. [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports the council's disciplinary committee decisions: demotion for the official in charge, a three-month suspension for the team leader and a three-month pay reduction for the department head. [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the same decisions and the registration errors, and says the 107th National Sports Festival runs Oct. 16-22 in Jeju. [ 3 ]
- Newsis publishes a headline reporting the disciplining of officials who blocked festival participation by mistake. [ 4 ]