"A whopping 40 teams flocked in" — The fruits of Hanwha's 40-year love for amateur baseball: The largest-ever Hanwha Kichaji Tournament concludes! Bukil High, Hanbat Middle, and Seokgyo Elementary claim victory

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Hanwha Eagles has continued its support for amateur baseball for 40 years since the club's founding. This year's Hanwha Kichaji Elementary, Middle, and High School Baseball Tournament saw a record-high participation of 40 teams, with Bukil High, Hanbat Middle, and Seokgyo Elementary topping their respective divisions.

Hanwha announced on the 2nd that it concluded the 38th Hanwha Kichaji Elementary, Middle, and High School Baseball Tournament with the middle and high school division finals held on the 1st.

Hosted by the Daejeon Baseball and Softball Association and sponsored by Hanwha, this tournament featured 40 teams affiliated with baseball and softball associations in Daejeon, Sejong, Chungnam, Chungbuk, and Gangwon regions. Thirteen elementary school teams, 17 middle school teams, and 10 high school teams competed at the Hanbat Baseball Field in Daejeon to determine the champions through a tournament format.

The Hanwha Kichaji Baseball Tournament first began in 1986 when Binggrae Eagles, Hanwha's predecessor, was founded. It was established to promote the development of amateur baseball in the home region and expand real-game experience for young players, marking its 38th edition this year.

In the elementary school division, Seokgyo Elementary from Chungbuk defeated Yuchon Elementary from Daejeon to win the championship. Coach Lee Hee-jun of Seokgyo Elementary and Coach Moon Jong-seop received the Best Coach Award and Best Assistant Coach Award, respectively, while Han Chan-hee was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the middle school division, Hanbat Middle from Daejeon defeated Buk Middle from Cheonan to lift the championship trophy. Coach Kim Jong-guk of Hanbat Middle and Coach Cho Jung-won received the Best Coach Award and Best Assistant Coach Award, respectively, while Yang Tae-seong won the MVP award.

In the high school division, Bukil High from Cheonan defeated Gongju High from Chungnam to claim the top spot. Coach Im Jae-cheol of Bukil High and Coach Lee Jae-gwang received the Instructor Award, while Jo Hyeon-tae earned the honor of MVP. In addition, various individual awards were presented, including the Outstanding Coach Award, Outstanding Assistant Coach Award, Outstanding Pitcher Award, Merit Award, Migi Award, Glove Award, and the top three in Batting Average for each division.

Hanwha provided official balls to all 40 schools participating in this tournament. Additional official balls were also given as prizes to the winning and runner-up teams.

Hanwha's support for amateur baseball does not remain confined to its home region. In June of this year, it held the 4th Hanwha Eagles Cup High School and University All-Star Game at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark. Together with the Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA), it selected 48 promising high school and university players from across the country, providing them with an opportunity to compete in skills on a professional first-division field.

In particular, Hanwha has fully covered transportation, accommodation, and meal costs for participating players. It also provided opportunities for promising players preparing for professional entry to showcase themselves, as scout team leaders from the 10th KBO League clubs participated in player selection.

Indeed, among the 133rd players who participated in three tournaments from 2023 to 2025, 107 (approximately 80%) advanced to professional baseball. University players also entered the professional stage through contracts such as development player agreements, creating a new arena of opportunity for amateur players.

In February of this year, Hanwha also signed a memorandum of understanding with KBSA for the regular holding of the High School and University All-Star Game. By operating both the Hanwha Kichaji, a youth tournament in its home region, and the High School and University All-Star Game featuring promising players from across the country, it is expanding the scope of its support.

Hanwha plans to continue activities aimed at expanding real-game experience for young players and broadening the base of baseball through supporting local school baseball teams and hosting amateur tournaments in the future.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original