Heung-min Son’s father fined ₦3 million for ‘flogging’ academy player with corner flag

The Tottenham captain’s father was found guilty of violating child welfare laws

Son Woong-jung, father of Tottenham star Son Heung-min, has been fined ₦3 million (£1,683) for endangering the welfare of a child at his football academy.

The incident, involving the physical punishment of a young player, has sparked outrage and led to further scrutiny of his coaching methods.

Incident at Son Football Academy that sparked outrage

The controversy began earlier this year when Son Woong-jung, who runs the Son Football Academy, was accused of hitting a young player with a corner flag for finishing last in a race.

The incident occurred at a training camp in Okinawa, Japan, in March, and the player's parents reported it to the police shortly after. According to them, the child suffered an injury to the thigh that required two weeks of medical treatment.

In response to the accusations, Son Woong-jung admitted that the incident had occurred but defended his actions, claiming that it was part of a mutually agreed fitness routine.

He stated that the punishment was not physical abuse but rather a fitness exercise where the last-place finisher in a race would be "hit once" on the thigh.

Despite his explanation, the courts ruled that the incident violated child welfare laws, leading to fines for Son and two other staff members.

Son Woong-Jung apologises after fine

Following the court ruling, Son Woong-jung expressed regret for the incident and acknowledged that his methods did not align with modern standards of player welfare.

In a statement, the father of the Tottenham captain said, "I will self-reflect in atonement for having insisted on my method while failing to catch up with the boundaries set by the change of times and laws."

He further apologised for any harm caused while maintaining that some of the details reported were "not true."

Son Woong-jung is a prominent figure in South Korean football, having played professionally in the 1980s and is credited with shaping the early career of his son, Son Heung-min, who has gone on to become a global football star and currently captains both South Korea and Tottenham Hotspur.