Busan Gwangju City athletes are ready to raise the honor of ‘Sports City Busan’ in Jeonnam, the ‘Land of Life’, where the 104th National Sports Games will be held. The athletes are burning the will to lay a stepping stone for the rebirth of Busan sports by achieving good results in both individual and team competitions at the National Games.
■All-out effort to improve on last year’s 8th place finish
The Busan athletes finished eighth overall (57 gold, 55 silver, and 67 bronze medals) at the 103rd National Games in Ulsan last year. The team initially set a goal of 56 gold, 60 silver, and 97 bronze medals. They exceeded their pre-tournament goal of 56 gold medals, 60 silver medals, and 97 bronze medals.
The Busan athletes are using the disappointment of the last Games as a springboard to improve their performance at the Jeonnam National Games. A total of 1,672 athletes will compete in 49 events, including track and field, swimming, and sailing, and will compete with athletes from 17 metropolitan areas across the country.
Expectations for sailor Hajimin, fencer Song Sera, and others
Busan is aiming for gold in individual events such as track and field and swimming, as well as team events such as baseball and badminton. The city’s athletes are expected to contribute to the medal hunt not only in these sports, but also in various other sports where Busan is traditionally strong, such as sailing and fencing.
Hajimin (Haeundae-gu Office), who is competing in the sailing laser event, is the flagship sailor for the Busan team and is considered a strong gold medal contender at the Games. Prior to the national championships, Hajimin will compete against Asian powerhouses at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, which kicks off on March 23.
Hajimin has established herself as one of the nation’s strongest sailors, having won gold medals in every event she has competed in from the 87th to the 99th edition of the Games, when she was a student at Yangwoongo in Busan.
National fencer Song Sera (Busan Metropolitan Government) is another valuable addition to the Busan squad. She will be competing in the women’s epee event and will be looking to shine for Busan after competing at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
She will be aiming for a gold medal after finishing third in the women’s individual event at the 103rd National Games last year. She will be looking to build on her silver medal performance at the 2023 Asian Fencing Championships in June and go for back-to-back gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games and National Championships.
Busan Pusan National University women’s badminton team. Courtesy of Busan Sports Council
■Busan High School Baseball and Dongju Girls’ High School Basketball Expected to Perform Well
Busan athletes are ready to rise to the top of the national championships based on their united strength in team sports. The Busan athletes are expected to win gold medals in baseball, basketball, kendo, badminton, and sepak takraw.
Busan High School’s baseball team, which is representing the country in baseball, has been training hard to win gold. The team won the 77th Golden Lion National High School Baseball Tournament in May, reaffirming its reputation as a traditional high school baseball powerhouse. Led by head coach Park Kye-won, Busan Go is expected to perform well at the national championships as it has an even strength in both batting and pitching.메이저놀이터
Pusan National University’s badminton team will also be competing in the badminton team event. Pusan National University’s badminton team proved to be the strongest team in women’s college badminton by winning the gold and silver medals in the women’s doubles event at the National Badminton Championships held in July. The Pusan National University badminton team has been strengthening under the guidance of national team member and Pusan National University senior Jung Eun-hwa.
In basketball, Dongju Girls’ High School, the pride of Busan school basketball, will challenge for the girls’ title. Busan Environment Corporation Women’s Team will compete in the Sepak Takraw Women’s General Division. The women’s kendo team of the Busan City Sports Association will also aim for gold in the team event.