Son and Father Play as a Team Forwards
Chairman Who Hosted the Tournament Participates as a Player
Korea Foot Volleyball Association: "Foot Volleyball Hallyu to the World"
Do you know a sport where a father and son play as a team? Have you seen a competition where middle school teams face off against players in their 60s, and the tournament organizer even participates as a player?
'Jokgu,' a traditional folk ball game dating back to the Silla Dynasty, creates such scenes.
It is currently developing into an elite sport aiming to become an official event at the National Sports Festival, and it is a popular mass sport enjoyed by male, female, young, and old enthusiasts, filling neighborhoods across the country with spirited cheers of "Fighting."
The Korea Jokgu Association is working tirelessly to export K-sports not only domestically but worldwide, and the Jokgu wave, fueled by the Korean Wave, is gradually rising in Europe’s Czech Republic, Southeast Asia, Japan, and other regions.
On the 7th, the 6th Busan Jokgu Association President's Jokgu Tournament is being held at Eulsukdo Sports Park in Busan.
On the 7th, when cherry blossoms were fluttering, the 6th Busan City Jokgu Association President’s Cup was held at the Eulsukdo Ecological Park soccer field in Hadan-dong, Saha-gu, Busan. One soccer field was divided into about 10 courts where participating teams competed.
According to team skill levels, 91 teams were divided into five categories: J3~4 Combined Division, Busan J5, Busan J6, 60s Division, and Women’s Division. Over 700 players and coaches participated, and the competition was held in a preliminary league and final tournament format.
Park Sam-cheol, president of the Busan City Jokgu Association, said, “Whether elite or amateur, a captivating sports festival that gives us infinite inspiration unfolded,” and added, “I hope joy and laughter bloom like the cherry blossoms in April.”
Park Sam-cheol, president of the Busan Jokgu Association (left), is personally participating in the tournament he organized.
To celebrate the event, Hong Ki-yong, president of the Korea Jokgu Association, who came down from Seoul the day before, said, “Jokgu, which started as a folk ball game, is a precious brushstroke adding to the big picture of spreading worldwide,” and emphasized, “The Busan Jokgu Festival will be a stepping stone for the globalization of K-Jokgu.”
In this tournament, Im Hyo-sang, known as the ‘killer’ striker of the Buffalo team (J3~4 Combined Division), is a former volleyball player in his 30s, and the setter beside him, Im Seong-jun, is in his 50s and is Hyo-sang’s father. The father-and-son strikers playing on the same team attracted attention.
"Grandpa, shall we have a match?" In a jokgu game with four players per team, the Buffalo team, which has three players in their 60s, is exchanging greetings between captains before facing the middle school team.
In another match, most players of the Buffalo team (J6 Division), including Kim Chun-mo, Lee Chun-oh, and Kim Hak-ji, were in their 60s and faced two middle school teams in their teens, narrowly losing and swallowing their disappointment.
The fierce battle between players with an average age difference of nearly 50 years offered the unique fun that only Jokgu can provide. Recently, as Jokgu’s popularity has risen among women, four teams ranging in age from their 20s to 60s participated, adding to the tournament’s excitement.
The results of this tournament saw Ulsan Hana A (Ulsan) lifting the championship trophy in the J3~4 Combined Division; Sangsin A (Yeonje-gu, Busan) in the J5 Division; Nakdong JC A (Saha-gu, Busan) in the J6 Division; BK Jokgu (Seo-gu, Busan) in the 60s Division; and Unique A (Nam-gu, Busan) in the Women’s Division.
Female teams participating in the Busan Jokgu Association President's Cup tournament are playing matches.
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