“Flames of Harmony, Leap, and Peace Ignite!” … 2022 National (Disabled) Sports Festival Torch Relay Begins

Flower Picking at 7 Locations Including Ganghwado Manisan and Taehwagang National Garden Wangbeodeul Square

Torch Relay from October 4 to 6 with 611 Runners Participating, Covering 224 km Across Ulsan

Ulsan City Sports Complex.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Ulsan City will begin the torch relay to wish for the success of the 103rd National Sports Festival and the 42nd National Para Games over three days from October 4 to 6.

The flames will be lit at a total of seven locations.

The flame for the 103rd National Sports Festival will be lit at Chamseongdan on Manisan Mountain in Ganghwado, and the flame for the 42nd Para Games will be lit at the Wangbeodeul Square in Taehwagang National Garden on October 3, respectively.

The National Sports Festival flame will be received by the torch relay team, and the Para Games flame will be received by Ahn Hyo-dae, Ulsan City Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs, and both will be stored in the flame preservation stand set up on the first floor of the City Hall main building.

Special flame lighting in districts and counties will take place on September 30 at Hamwollu in Jung-gu (Flame of Life), Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration Center in Nam-gu (Flame of New Industry), Daewangam Park in Dong-gu (Flame of National Defense), Dalcheon Ironworks in Buk-gu (Flame of Culture), and Onggi Academy in Ulju-gun (Flame of Artisans), respectively.

The five flames will be received by the district mayors and county governors and stored in the flame preservation stand on the first floor of City Hall.

The “Flame Unification Ceremony,” which combines the flames of the National Sports Festival, the Para Games, and the five special district and county flames, will be held at 10 a.m. on October 4 in the City Hall courtyard.

The unified flame will be handed over to the first torchbearer of the National Sports Festival and Para Games, and the simultaneous torch relay for both events will proceed for three days.

The significance of the simultaneous relay is to create an atmosphere of the games where people with and without disabilities enjoy together.

The torch relay consists of a total of 145 sections, covering a total distance of 224 km, with 611 runners participating.

The flame will start with the unification ceremony at City Hall on the first day, then tour Nam-gu, Jung-gu, Ulju-gun, Dong-gu, and Buk-gu over three days, and will be lit on the flame stands at the opening ceremonies of the National Sports Festival on October 7 and the Para Games on October 19 at the Sports Complex, respectively.

The torchbearers were publicly recruited from Ulsan citizens from July 11 to 29, selecting 504 people, and the remaining participants were recommended for unique and visiting relays, totaling 611 selected.

The proportion of male participants was 1.4 times higher than that of female participants, and by age group, 3% were in their teens, 8% in their 20s, 11% in their 30s, 20% in their 40s, 28% in their 50s, and 30% aged 60 and above, showing higher participation rates with increasing age.

Many former and current athletes also participated, and the participation rate of general citizens such as students, housewives, and office workers was high. People with disabilities accounted for 4.5% of participants.

In particular, this relay includes nine unique relays utilizing Ulsan’s distinctive local culture, such as the Ulsan Big Baby relay, Hyundai eco-friendly vehicle escort relay, Park Sang-jin independence activist anti-Japanese movement relay, and Onggi Village artisan relay.

Additionally, visiting torch relays will be held at seven locations including Sinbulsan Ganwoljae, Bangudae Petroglyphs, Ganjeolgot, Jangsaengpo Whale Village, Ulsan Grand Park, Ulsan Bridge, and Seuldo.

An official from Ulsan City said, “We are doing our best to minimize citizens’ traffic and passage inconveniences caused by the torch relay and to ensure the safety of torchbearers and spectators,” and added, “We ask for the citizens’ great interest and cooperation.”