Korean Sports Council to Host '26th Korea-China Grassroots Sports Exchange' → Sports Diplomacy Unfolds in Jeollanam-do

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korean Sports Council announced that it will hold the '2026 26th Korea-China Grassroots Sports Exchange Invitation Event' from the 26th to the 30th, spanning four nights and five days, across Jeollanam-do.

Launched in 2001, the 'Korea-China Grassroots Sports Exchange' has been operated annually through a reciprocal dispatch system where athlete delegations from both countries visit each other. It is recognized as a representative grassroots sports international exchange event that has realized sports diplomacy and promoted mutual understanding through sports. In particular, grassroots sports enthusiasts from both countries have sweated together directly on the court, sharing friendship, forming a solid foundation for enhancing friendly relations and revitalizing grassroots sports.

This year's event will see a delegation of 62 athletes, composed of grassroots sports enthusiasts aged 30 and above from the Shandong Province region of China, visit Korea. They are scheduled to compete in friendly matches against Korean grassroots sports athlete delegations in a total of five sports: badminton, table tennis, tennis, basketball, and Go, showcasing their skills and fostering harmony.

The event is hosted by the Korean Sports Council and organized by the Jeollanam-do Sports Council and five Jeollanam-do member sports organizations. It is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and Jeollanam-do. In addition to competitions in each sport, the athlete delegations from both countries will visit major attractions in Jeollanam-do, spending meaningful time experiencing the region's beautiful marine tourism and unique traditional culture.

Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korean Sports Council, stated, "This Korea-China Grassroots Sports Exchange event will be a precious occasion for enthusiasts from both countries to share deep bonds and friendship through grassroots sports," and added, "We expect that through continuous exchanges, friendly relations and mutual understanding between Korea and China will be further expanded."

Meanwhile, following this invitation event, the Korean Sports Council plans to dispatch a Korean grassroots sports enthusiast athlete delegation to China in October to continue the momentum of the exchange. The Council plans to continue expanding international exchanges through grassroots sports and take the lead in strengthening friendly relations between the two countries.

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*This content was translated by AI.