Lee Sang-hyun, Head of the Republic of Korea Sports Delegation, visits the Armed Forces to pray for victory: "Playing a crucial role in South Korean sports"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Sang-hyun, Head of the Republic of Korea Sports Delegation for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, visited the Armed Forces to offer prayers for success and encouragement to national athletes representing the country in the upcoming Asian Games.

According to the Korean Olympic Committee, the delegation head visited the Armed Forces on the 12th, met with Kim Young-il, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and reviewed the training status and participation details of athletes ahead of the Asian Games. He reaffirmed his unwavering determination for the success of the Republic of Korea sports team.

The delegation head stated, "The Armed Forces play a vital role in enhancing South Korea's competitive performance in sports and providing stable training environments for national athletes." He added, "Especially given their support enabling national athletes to balance military service with athletic development, they are an indispensable presence in our sports community."

He further emphasized, "In this Asian Games, 18 athletes from the Armed Forces will compete across 11 sports: swimming, cycling, athletics, boxing, wrestling, fencing, basketball, volleyball, rugby, hockey, and handball. This clearly demonstrates how critical the Armed Forces are to South Korean sports."

The delegation head also said, "As Head of the Delegation, I will closely monitor and support our athletes to ensure that their hard work and dedication translate into outstanding results at the Asian Games. I will continue cheering for them until the end so they can deliver peak performance."

In response, Kim Young-il, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, expressed gratitude: "Thank you for visiting the Armed Forces despite your busy schedule to encourage our athletes. We are committed to doing our utmost in training and competition preparation so that our athletes, proud of representing their nation, can showcase their best skills on the Asian Games stage."

Lee Sang-hyun previously served as Deputy Head of the Republic of Korea Sports Delegation at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has now been appointed as Head of the Delegation for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. He continues to engage with all members of the sports community—including athletes, coaches, governing bodies, media representatives, and government officials—to ensure a successful preparation for the Asian Games.

The 20th Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games (Asian Games) will be held from September 19 to October 4. The Republic of Korea will send a delegation of approximately 1,060 athletes competing in 41 sports. As a single multi-sport event, the Summer Asian Games represent the largest international sporting competition in which South Korea participates.

Athletes from the Armed Forces competing by sport are as follows: Swimming: Private First Class Song Seong-jae (200m breaststroke); Cycling: Private First Class Heo Seung-su (MTB XC-0); Athletics: Private First Class Kim Si-on (400m relay), Private First Class Park Won-bin (3,000m steeplechase), Private First Class Park Min-ho (marathon); Boxing: Private First Class Shin Jae-yong (-55kg); Wrestling: Private First Class Kim Da-hyun (Greco-Roman 60kg); Fencing: Private First Class Kwon Oh-min (épée), Private First Class Hwang Hee-geun (sabre); Basketball: Corporal Lee Woo-seok, Private Second Class Lee Won-seok; Volleyball: Private First Class Lee Sang-hyun, Private First Class Im Seong-jin; Rugby: Corporal Lee Jun-i, Private First Class Kim Hyun-jin, Private First Class Lee Moon-gyu; Hockey: Private First Class Im Do-hyeon; Handball: Corporal Jin Yu-seong.

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*This content was translated by AI.