Elementary school athletes prepare for the start of a track and field event at the 42nd Kyobo Life Cup Youth Sports Championships, held Saturday at G Stadium in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. [Kyobo Life]
Elementary school athletes prepare for the start of a track and field event at the 42nd Kyobo Life Cup Youth Sports Championships, held Saturday at G Stadium in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. [Kyobo Life]

Kyobo Life announced Monday that it held the opening ceremony of the 42nd Kyobo Life Cup Youth Sports Championships on Thursday at the Jecheon Indoor Gymnasium in North Chungcheong Province, kicking off a month-long competition.

Now in its 42nd year since launching in 1985, the event is the only privately organized national youth multi-sport competition in South Korea. More than 155,000 student athletes have participated to date, and over 500 have gone on to represent the national team. Notable alumni include swimmer Park Tae-hwan, judoka Choi Min-ho, gymnast Yang Hak-seon, table tennis players Yoo Seung-min and Shin Yu-bin, and speed skater Lee Sang-hwa.

This year, more than 5,000 elementary school athletes from across the country are competing in seven foundational sports: gymnastics, track and field, judo, tennis, ice skating, table tennis and swimming.

The opening ceremony drew about 800 attendees, including Nam Seung-gu, senior vice president of the Korea Gymnastics Association, executive director Yeo Hong-cheol, and Jecheon Mayor Lee Sang-cheon. More than 20 members of the national gymnastics team, including Yeo Seo-jeong, attended the event, holding an autograph session and sharing the value of sportsmanship with the younger competitors.

The late Shin Yong-ho, founder of Kyobo Life, established the competition based on his belief that "building physical strength from an early age is what allows character and knowledge to flourish." Shin Chang-jae, chief executive and chairman of the board of Kyobo Life, said he hopes "the young athletes will practice the spirit of fair play and grow into true leaders who spread the right values of sportsmanship throughout society."

Alongside the championships, Kyobo Life also operates the Kyobo Young Athletes Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to promising athletes of strong character and talent throughout their six years of middle and high school, with additional grants awarded upon selection to the national team or a podium finish at an international competition.

"The Youth Sports Championships are an educational arena where young athletes learn the values of fair competition, consideration and respect," a Kyobo Life official said. "We will consistently support them so they can grow into sports leaders with strong physical fitness and sound character."


psj@heraldcorp.com