'Former Manager Han Dae-hwa's attendance draws attention' Gimpo City Youth Baseball Team wins Andong Mayor's Cup National Tournament

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The Gyeonggi Gimpo City Youth Baseball Team has been crowned the top youth baseball team.

On the 21st, in the final of the U-13 division at the 2026 5th Andong Mayor's Cup National Youth Baseball Tournament, which concluded on that day, Gimpo defeated regional rivals Gyeonggi Hwimun Academy Youth Baseball Team 11-2 to claim the championship.

The tournament, hosted by the Korea Youth Baseball Federation (Chairman Lee Sang-geun), was held over six days from the 16th to the 21st at nine fields, including the baseball field at Yongsang Sports Park in Andong City, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, with 132 teams participating.

In the final of the top-tier Youth League Cheongryong division, Gimpo faced Gyeonggi Hwimun Academy, led by manager Park Young-ju, a former LG Twins player. After falling behind early in the first inning due to a center-field single by Jo Ye-jun and a one-run sacrifice fly by Kim Yun-jun, Gimpo quickly turned the tide in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run home run by Choe Ju-won and a bases-loaded walk by Kim Jun-hyuk, scoring four runs. Later, leading 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning, they added four more runs, including a two-run left-field single by Lee Chan-bin and a one-run line drive to right field by Lee Hae-seung, to secure the victory.

Choe Ju-won, a sixth-grade elementary student who plays both pitcher and position player with a height of 176 cm and weight of 76 kg, earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for his performance in the tournament: five hits in 10 at-bats (batting average .500), seven runs batted in, one run allowed over 6⅔ innings, 17 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.35. Jo Ye-jun (Gyeonggi Hwimun Academy Youth Baseball Team) and Kim Tae-yoon (Gyeonggi Gimpo City Youth Baseball Team) were named to the Woo Su-seon (수상).

MVP Choe Ju-won said, "It is a great joy to win in the Youth Cheongryong League for the first time, and I really wanted to win the final. I believe we could win thanks to all team members doing their best in their respective roles." He added, "My role model is An Woo-jin of the Kiwoom Heroes. His fast pitching speed, changeups, and smooth delivery are impressive, and I want to learn from him. I will train diligently and always strive to become an excellent professional baseball player like An Woo-jin."

Manager Choe Hoon of the Gyeonggi Gimpo City Youth Baseball Team, who received the Manager's Award at the tournament, said, "This Andong Mayor's Cup tournament was very meaningful as it marked the first Youth Cheongryong League championship in the history of the Gimpo City With You Youth Baseball Team. I am grateful to the parents who trusted us, and to coaches Jeon Seong-jae, Kim Dong-young, Hwang Jun-seo, and Lee Sang-hyuk for diligently training the players. I would like to dedicate this honor to the children who always smiled, enjoyed themselves, and followed our lead despite the grueling training schedule."

He continued, "Over the past 12 years, based on the players' training environment, educational system, and systematic management, we have created an atmosphere where players do not feel intimidated in front of their coaches or hesitate on the field, but can communicate comfortably and share their concerns. Currently, as the players enjoy baseball while also achieving good results, it feels rewarding to see the outcomes. We will continue to strive to become a team that serves as a model for baseball."

Lee Sang-geun, chairman of the Korea Youth Baseball Federation, stated, "Andong City, which has four official baseball fields and one youth baseball field, is the capital of Korean spiritual culture. The entire village is registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, including Andong Hahoe Village, and it offers abundant food options such as Andong Jjim-dak (braised chicken). It is an optimal city for youth players to experience culture in addition to baseball games, making the Andong Mayor's Cup a happy baseball festival where entire families can participate together." He added, "I am grateful to Andong Mayor Kwon Ki-chang and Sports Council Chairman An Yun-hyo for preparing such an excellent tournament, as well as to the citizens of Andong who supported us with one heart, hoping for a successful event. We will do our best to help expand the base of youth baseball and boost the local economy."

Meanwhile, former Hanwha Eagles manager Han Dae-hwa (66), a professional baseball legend, attended the awards ceremony to encourage the recipients, drawing attention. A source from the Youth Federation noted, "Former Manager Han has always been very interested in the development of youth baseball." The tournament was sponsored by the Andong City Sports Council, SOOP, and Gold, a baseball equipment company. The two final games were broadcast live on SOOP via TV broadcast format, with commentary by caster So Dae-su and committee member Oh Hyeon-taek, a former Doosan player.

● Sapling League (U-9) ▲ Champion – Seoul Songpa-gu Minbol Youth Baseball Team (Manager Lee Hong-gu) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team (Manager Kim Jeong-han) ▲ Most Valuable Player Jo Si-yoon (Seoul Songpa-gu Minbol Youth Baseball Team)

● Dream Tree League (U-11) Cheongryong ▲ Champion – Gyeonggi Paju City Youth Baseball Team (Manager Kim Min-su) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team (Manager Kwon Oh-hyun) ▲ Most Valuable Player Kim Tae-hoon (Gyeonggi Paju City Youth Baseball Team)

● Dream Tree League (U-11) Hyunmu ▲ Champion – Gyeonggi Big Dream Youth Baseball Team (Manager Nipher) ▲ Runner-up – Jeonbuk Jeongeup City Youth Baseball Team (Manager Park Ju-eon) ▲ Most Valuable Player Jeon Min-guk (Gyeonggi Big Dream Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-12) ▲ Champion – Gangwon Taebaek City Youth Baseball Team (Manager Bae Kang-yeol) ▲ Runner-up – Seoul Songpa-gu Youth Baseball Team (Manager Yoon Gyu-jin) ▲ Most Valuable Player Kim Ji-dam (Gangwon Taebaek City Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-13) Cheongryong ▲ Champion – Gyeonggi Gimpo City Youth Baseball Team (Manager Choe Hoon) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Hwimun Academy Youth Baseball Team (Manager Park Young-ju) ▲ Most Valuable Player Choe Ju-won (Gyeonggi Gimpo City Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-13) Baekho ▲ Champion – Seoul Gangnam Dogok Youth Baseball Team (Manager Yoon Jeong-ho) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Big Dream Youth Baseball Team (Manager Nipher) ▲ Most Valuable Player Kang Jae-yoon (Seoul Gangnam Dogok Youth Baseball Team)

● Junior League (U-16) ▲ Champion – Chungnam Asan City Youth Baseball Team (Manager Hwang Min-ho) ▲ Runner-up – Sejong Public SC (Manager Kim Seung-gwon) ▲ Most Valuable Player Park Min-jae (Chungnam Asan City Youth Baseball Team)

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original