"Unyielding Passion Shone Brightly" — Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korea Sports and Olympic Committee, Delivers Closing Address as Jeju-Hosted National Sports Festival Concludes Its Schedule

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

'The 107th National Sports Festival,' the country's largest comprehensive sports competition, which was held in Jeju for the first time in 12 years, successfully concluded its seven-day series of intense competitions with a closing ceremony held at 5:30 p.m. on the 22nd at Jeju World Cup Stadium.

In his closing address, Yoo Seung-min, President of the Korea Sports and Olympic Committee, encouraged athletes from across the country, promising, "The Korea Sports and Olympic Committee will strive for the development of sports in South Korea by listening to voices from the field so that athletes can challenge themselves freely and all citizens can share in the value of sports."

Under the slogan "Shining Jeju, Running Together as One Korea," this tournament focused on safety management. A total of approximately 30,000 athletes from across the country participated in 50 events (49 official, 1 demonstration), competing with their honed skills. During the tournament, a total of 60 new records were set, including two world records (unofficial) and six national records, as well as 18 national junior records. A total of 223 athletes won multiple titles, including two five-time champions.

Yeo Seo-jeong (24, Jecheon City Hall), a member of the women's general division in gymnastics, was selected as the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) through voting by reporters affiliated with the Korea Sports Journalists Association. Yeo swept four gold medals in floor exercise, balance beam, vault, and individual all-around, adding a team all-around silver medal and a parallel bars bronze medal to hang a total of six medals around her neck. An Young-hoon (22, Inha University) from the women's university division in track and field, and Kwon Ji-seong (18, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Cycling Federation) from the men's under-18 cycling division, were named five-time champions of the tournament.

In the overall provincial rankings, Gyeonggi Province secured the honor of overall victory by winning a total of 424 medals and earning 67,273 points. Gyeongsangbuk-do (54,888 points) and Seoul Metropolitan City (54,186 points) took second and third place, respectively. The Achievement Award, given to provinces or cities that have made remarkable growth compared to the previous tournament, went to the host region, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, while Daejeon Metropolitan City received the Model Team Award.

This National Sports Festival focused on establishing a thorough safety management system through pre-event safety inspections for each sport and real-time monitoring, as well as ensuring fairness through the assignment of standing referees and the use of game footage. In particular, it introduced 'NFT digital tickets' to the opening and closing ceremonies for the first time in the history of the National Sports Festival, linking them with Jeju tourism benefits, thereby showcasing a new spectator culture that combines sports with digital technology.

The National Sports Festival flag, marking the end of the tournament, was handed over to Gyeonggi Province, the host of the next edition. The 108th National Sports Festival will be held from October 8 to 14, 2027, in various locations within Gyeonggi Province.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original