"The passion for baseball is incredible; professional baseball should take it as an example." Oh Seung-hwan and Seon Dong-yeol also expressed admiration at the moving scene of the 17th OK National Deaf Baseball Tournament [Hwaseong Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"The players' passion seems incredible. Professional players should take them as an example."

Oh Seung-hwan (44), who made a surprise visit to the scene, sent a message of respect to the deaf baseball players. Former national team coach Seon Dong-yeol (63) smiled contentedly.

The 17th Seon Dong-yeol Cup OK National Deaf Baseball Tournament, chaired by former coach Seon Dong-yeol (61), concluded successfully on the 31st at the baseball field in Hwaseong Dream Park, Gyeonggi Province.

At the main tournament of the "17th Seon Dong-yeol Cup OK National Deaf Baseball Tournament" held at Hwaseong Dream Park on the 31st, Daegu Hawk Eye won the championship by defeating the opponent 16-10 after a tiebreaker.

A total of eight teams participated, holding the tournament over two days on the 30th and 31st. Instead of innings, the games were played by time limit, with results determined after two hours. In the semi-finals held from that morning, Daegu Hawk Eye defeated Goyang Angels 7-6, and Gyeonggi Willows advanced to the finals after receiving a walkover victory against Chungnam National University Phoenix, which withdrew due to numerous injuries.

After five innings, the game moved to a tiebreaker, where Daegu Hawk Eye scored six runs to win 16-10 and claim the championship. Daegu Hawk Eye lifted the trophy for the third time, following their victories in 2016 and 2024.

Choi U-su-seon (수상)(MVP) was awarded to Im Jung-woo, and both Choi U-su-tu (수상) and the Best Coach Award went to Kim Jung-hyun and Coach Kim Taehyun of Daegu Hawk Eye. Woo Su-tu (수상) went to Kim Kwon-se of Gyeonggi Willows, the Excellent Coach Award to Coach Son Jin-ho of Gyeonggi Willows, the Batting Award to Sung Baek-cheol of Daegu Hawk Eye, the Rookie Award to Shin So-mang of Goyang Angels, the Home Run Award to Kim Dong-yeon of Daegu Hawk Eye, the Best Challenge Award to Moon Jun-hyeok of Chungju Seongsim, and the Fair Play Award to Jeon Kwang-hyeon of Chungju Seongsim.

A touching scene unfolded during the opening ceremony. Former coach Seon Dong-yeol, who serves as the tournament chair, delivered the opening remarks. Oh Seung-hwan, a former student of the coach who retired last year, made a surprise appearance as the ceremonial first pitcher. The former coach then took the field as the ceremonial first batter, and after the pitch, they shared a warm embrace for the first time in a long while.

Sign language artist Fujimoto Saori, who has been active on the SBS variety program "The Unstoppable Ladies," once again lit up the stage. Having served as the tournament's promotional ambassador since 2022, she performed a sign language performance to celebrate the opening and also participated as the ceremonial first batter in another ceremonial pitch event.

Former coach Seon Dong-yeol said, "Every time I see the players showing determination and passion that never falls short of anyone, I feel deeply moved and filled with respect. I would like to thank Chairman Choi Yoon of OK Financial Group, who has always shown interest and support for the development of deaf baseball, and also express my gratitude to Chairman Jo Il-yeon of the Korea Deaf Baseball and Softball Federation, who has always prepared the tournament excellently. I wish you all the best in fully displaying your skills honed over the past year and creating many precious memories through baseball."

OK Financial Group has been sponsoring the National Deaf Baseball Tournament since 2010. Starting in 2019, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tournament, the name was changed to the "Seon Dong-yeol Cup OK National Deaf Baseball Tournament," and from this season, the venue has moved to Hwaseong Dream Park, marking a new beginning.

Choi Yoon, Chairman of OK Financial Group, also conveyed his support through a welcome speech, saying, "Please remember that physical disabilities cannot be a barrier to passion and challenge. Believe in yourselves and quietly move forward toward your dreams."

Jo Il-yeon, Yeon Maeng (Chairman), said, "Even in a difficult environment with no public support from the government, thanks to the generous sponsorship of OK Financial Group, our deaf baseball has been able to continue developing without stopping. I sincerely express my respect and gratitude to Chairman Seon Dong-yeol, who has been with us since the early days of the tournament. Our players feel incredibly proud and have great pride that Seon Dong-yeol, a legend of Korean baseball, is with us deaf baseball players."

To ensure the successful holding of the tournament, sponsors such as Seon Samo (a group that loves Seon Dong-yeol), Bobae Banjeom, Ink Coffee, Oira Life Korea, and Miyabi Sobaum Kuhn also stepped forward.

Although composed of physically healthy players, there was some difference from typical baseball tournaments. Players sometimes struggled to confirm strike calls or coordinate with teammates during defense, and they also made errors on plays that could have been easily handled, such as infield fly balls.

However, there was nothing to worry about. They ran harder than anyone else and entered the game with bright smiles. This was an opportunity to see how much they love baseball.

Oh Seung-hwan, who received much attention as the ceremonial first pitcher, also felt unique emotions. Oh Seung-hwan said, "The players' passion is incredible. Professional players should take them as an example." He added, "The magnitude of that passion resonated more loudly than the cheers at any professional baseball game. I think those things give it a more special meaning."

Former coach Seon Dong-yeol told StarNews in an interview, "When I see the players, I think they face difficulties, but I truly feel how much they love baseball. It is not easy for professional players to play daytime games in such hot weather. Seeing this, I feel very proud, and if there is anything I can do to help, I want to lend as much strength as possible."

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*This content was translated by AI.