Significant Reduction of Cheonan Event Sports in the '2027 Summer Universiade'

Soccer Removed from Tournament Events, Tennis Courts Built in Naeposhin City
Only Volleyball Matches Held... Difficult to Expect Local Economic Revitalization

Ahead of the 2027 Chungcheong Summer Universiade, jointly hosted by Chungnam, Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungbuk regions, it has been revealed that the events scheduled in Cheonan, the main city of Chungnam, have been significantly reduced. 2027 Chungcheong Summer Universiade official website.

As the 2027 Summer Universiade, jointly hosted by Chungnam, Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungbuk regions, approaches, it has been revealed that the events scheduled in Cheonan, the main city of Chungnam, have been significantly reduced.

The four cities and provinces in the Chungcheong region were finally selected as the host of the "2027 Summer Universiade" by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) in 2022. The event will take place from August 1 to 12, 2027, with university students from 150 countries expected to participate.

Initially, it was expected that sports such as soccer, volleyball, tennis, water polo, yachting, and beach volleyball would be held in Chungnam, with Cheonan scheduled to host the most events including tennis, soccer, and volleyball.

Cheonan was anticipated to adequately host the events based on its abundant infrastructure, including the Cheonan Sports Complex, Yookwansoon Gymnasium, and indoor gymnasiums within universities. Additionally, the Korea Football Center under construction was expected to be completed before the event, providing further utilization possibilities.

However, the tennis venue, which was under negotiation between Chungnam Province and local authorities regarding expansion or new construction, was ultimately decided to be newly built in Naepo New City, resulting in the tennis events being relocated.

Furthermore, at the FISU Executive Committee meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, last March, 15 mandatory sports and 3 optional sports were finalized, with soccer being excluded. Consequently, all soccer matches scheduled to be held at Cheonan Sports Complex, Cheonan Football Center, and Korea Football Center were canceled.

As a result, only volleyball matches will be held in Cheonan during the Universiade.

Accordingly, the number of domestic and international visitors, including athletes and spectators visiting Cheonan, is expected to decrease, making it difficult to anticipate economic benefits.

A Cheonan city official stated, "The tennis matches were originally planned to be held at the outdoor tennis courts of Cheonan Sports Complex, but it is understood that no compromise was reached between Chungnam Province and local authorities regarding new construction or expansion to meet international competition standards."