Launch of the 'Young Athlete Discovery Team' in Sports and Education Sectors... To Proactively Support Early Identification and Growth of Professional Athletes

*This content was translated by AI.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is actively collaborating with the sports sector to identify and nurture promising athletes in disabled sports.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Disabled People's Sports Association and Korea National University of Education, launched the 'Young Athlete Discovery Team' to systematically discover and develop athletes who will lead the future of disabled sports. The launch ceremony was held at 2 p.m. on the 19th at the Icheon Athletes' Village.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is strengthening efforts to identify and nurture young talents in order to enhance the international competitiveness of disabled sports and expand the athlete base. In particular, it has continuously reinforced the system for discovering athletes by identifying those with potential at an early stage so they can grow into professional athletes. Starting this year, the approach will shift from 'waiting for athletes to be discovered' to 'actively seeking out athletes,' and a newly operated 'Young Athlete Discovery Team' will connect sports and education fields to proactively find next-generation athletes.

■ Combining Professional Expertise in Sports with Discovery Networks in Education Fields, Launching a 50-Member Discovery Team

To simultaneously expand the scope and enhance the professionalism of athlete discovery by connecting the expertise and on-site cooperation networks held separately by the Korea Disabled People's Sports Association and the Korea National University of Education, the discovery team was formed with a total of 50 members: 19 appointed by the Korea Disabled People's Sports Association and 31 organized by the university.

The Korea Disabled People's Sports Association will oversee and operate the discovery team based on its cooperation networks in sports fields across provinces, cities, and districts, as well as its expertise in disabled sports. It will review information on recommended students with disabilities to select those for on-site inspections, and professional committee members of the Korea Disabled People's Sports Association will visit the sites directly to confirm growth potential. Subsequently, they will link suitable sports disciplines and select young athletes eligible for support through committees such as the Athlete Development Committee.

The Korea National University of Education is proactively seeking out students with disabilities who have potential in the field of sports by leveraging its cooperation networks in education fields ahead of the opening of the '2028 Sports Special School for Middle and High Schools.' It will discover students within school settings such as physical education classes and provide information necessary for advancing to professional sports or further education to students interested in careers in sports.

Both institutions will strengthen cooperation by jointly utilizing athlete discovery data and databases (DB), and linking discovery projects such as 'Winter and Summer Young Athlete Camps.'

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to strengthen the foundation for more systematically discovering new athletes by connecting the expertise and discovery capabilities of the sports and education sectors through the operation of this discovery team.

■ Beginning with the Launch Ceremony of the 'Young Athlete Discovery Team,' Full-Scale Discovery of Future Talent in Disabled Sports

During the launch ceremony, the project plan of the discovery team was shared, appointment certificates were presented to discovery committee members, and a meeting among committee members was held to mark the official start of the team's activities.

Kang Dae-geum, Sports Cooperation Officer at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "In order for disabled sports to continuously secure international competitiveness, it is as important to identify and systematically nurture the next generation of athletes early as it is to support current national team members." He added, "With the launch of the 'Young Athlete Discovery Team,' we plan to create a virtuous cycle of athlete development where the sports and education sectors work together to actively discover disabled sports talents hidden in schools and communities across the country, enabling young athletes to grow into national team representatives."

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*This content was translated by AI.