'The 102nd National Sports Festival,' Postponed Last Year, to Open on October 8
450 Billion Won Remodeling of Gumi Citizen Stadium for Opening and Closing Ceremonies Completed
Governor Lee Cheol-woo: "We Will Showcase Gyeongbuk's Strength with a Cle
A panoramic view of Gumi Citizens' Stadium in Gyeongbuk, where this year's National Sports Festival opening and closing ceremonies are scheduled to be held.
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] The '102nd National Sports Festival' and the '41st National Para Sports Festival,' which were postponed last year due to COVID-19, will be held this October centered around Gumi in Gyeongbuk Province.
On the 11th, Gyeongsangbuk-do announced that it is steadily progressing with a phased roadmap to hold the National Sports Festival from October 8 to 14 at 71 venues across 12 cities and counties, including Gumi Citizen Stadium, covering 47 sports events.
It is expected that about 30,000 participants, including teams from 17 cities and provinces and overseas Korean athletes from 18 countries, will take part in this year's National Sports Festival. Following that, from the 20th to the 25th, the '41st National Para Sports Festival' will be held with about 9,000 participants, including athletes, officials, and guardians, competing in 30 sports events.
This year's National Sports Festival is described by Gyeongbuk Province as a cultural sports festival blending sports and culture, and a scientific sports festival leading the 4th Industrial Revolution, featuring original and diverse opening and closing ceremonies.
The event's symbolic mascots, 'Saeromi' and 'Haengboki,' are inspired by the motif of 'Fresh Wind, Happy Gyeongbuk,' expressing the hope that the festival will bring a fresh breeze to Gyeongbuk and happiness to not only the athletes but all citizens of Korea.
Gyeongbuk Province has already completed remodeling work at Gumi Citizen Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held, investing 45 billion KRW for structural reinforcement, installation of spectator seats, replacement of the athletics track, and expansion of convenience facilities.
The newly constructed three-story Complex Sports Center, built with a budget of 24.4 billion KRW, includes a 40-lane bowling alley on the first floor and a multipurpose gymnasium with 1,016 seats on the second and third floors.
Additionally, 23.5 billion KRW was invested to complete the renovation and maintenance of venues for 40 sports across 12 cities and counties. From 2018 to 2021, 37.1 billion KRW was invested in constructing access roads to the main stadium and improving the surrounding environment to ensure the successful hosting of the National Sports Festival.
In February, Gyeongbuk Province plans to comprehensively review and supplement progress through reorganization of the organizing and executive committees and preparation status meetings by execution departments, while also launching the official National Sports Festival website and SNS channels.
This event marks the fifth time the festival is held in Gyeongbuk (main host city Gumi) after the 43rd in 1962, the 56th in 1975, the 76th in 1995 (Pohang), and the 87th in 2006 (Gimcheon), carrying the symbolic meaning of 'the starting point of a new 100 years for Korean sports.'
The National Sports Festival traces its origins to the '1st All Joseon Baseball Tournament' held in November 1920 during the Japanese colonial period to foster national spirit and serve as a medium for the Korean independence movement. Except for interruptions during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938 and the Korean War in 1950, it has been held annually.
Last year, unprecedented circumstances arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Governor Lee Cheol-woo proposed to the government to postpone the event by one year. After consultations with the next four host cities and provinces (Ulsan, Jeonbuk, Gyeongnam, and Busan), the event was successfully secured to be held in Gyeongbuk this October.
Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "Since the National Sports Festival was postponed with difficulty last year, we will prepare more meticulously to establish a thorough quarantine system and ensure a clean festival," adding, "We will make it a model sports festival that showcases Gyeongbuk's capabilities both domestically and internationally."
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