'This can't be' Women's Yoo Do (CEO) Team Missed Flight While Eating: 'Waited 9 Hours in Dubai'... Another Fiasco Follows 'Weigh-In Disqualification'

*This content was translated by AI.

The national judo team, which had come under scrutiny due to a 'weigh-in disqualification' incident at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, this time made an absurd mistake by missing their flight while traveling to participate in the World Championships.

According to a report by NEWSIS on the 6th, Jeong Seong-sook, head coach of the women's Yoo Do (CEO) team, and four of her athletes missed their connecting flight while en route from Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Baku, Azerbaijan. As a result, they had to wait at the airport for approximately 9 hours before being able to travel to their destination on an alternative flight.

The team was traveling immediately after completing the Asian Games schedule to participate in the 2026 International Judo Federation (IJF) Baku World Championships, which will be held until the 10th. As there were no direct flights to Baku, they had to connect through Dubai. It was confirmed that they failed to board because they spent their approximately 3-hour and 45-minute layover time having a meal and did not calculate enough time to move across the large airport terminal. Hwang Hee-tae, head coach of the Nam Ja (CEO) team, and the remaining athletes boarded their scheduled flight normally.

A representative from the Korea Judo Association explained through NEWSIS regarding the boarding delay incident, "The athletes who arrived late are heavyweight competitors who have about two days of leeway before weigh-in, so there is no problem with their participation in the tournament."

At this Baku World Championships, a total of 18 athletes—nine men and nine women—will compete on the mat, including Kim Min-jong (Yangpyeong County Office) and Lee Hyun-jae (Yongin University), the stars of the men's and women's open weight categories. Heo Mi-mi (Gyeongsangbuk-do Sports Council), who won a gold medal at the recent Asian Games, will not participate in this tournament.

Meanwhile, the Judo Association stated its intention to thoroughly investigate the shocking weigh-in disqualification incident involving Jeong Su-jin (Yongin University, women's 48kg category) that occurred at the previous Asian Games after their return home.

The Judo Association side conveyed, "We will allow the team participating in the World Championships to focus on the tournament, and plan to investigate the circumstances at the time targeting Jeong Su-jin and related coaches after they return," adding, "Based on the facts confirmed through the investigation, we will strictly take necessary measures in accordance with relevant regulations and procedures."

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*This content was translated by AI.