The Korea Sports Stacking Association announced that 35 members of the South Korean national sports stacking team (Team Soul Korea) will participate in the "2024 WSSA Asia Open Sports Stacking" competition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from November 28 to December 2.
The selection of the national sports stacking team was conducted through four rounds of qualifiers held in Seoul (May 25), Gwangju Seo-gu (June 8), Gimhae, Gyeongnam (July 27), and Daejeon (August 10) culminating in the final challenge. The national team held a 2-day teamwork enhancement training workshop at Olympic Parktel on October 12.
In the girls' elementary division (12U), Shin Jua (Gyeonggi Bal-an Elementary) will compete, and in the boys' elementary division, Kim Si-hyun (Changwon Oncheon Elementary, Gyeongnam), Kim Eun-woo (Bucheon Jungang Elementary, Gyeonggi), Joo Ji-san (Bugoo Elementary, Gyeongbuk), Jung Jun-woo (Maewon Elementary, Seoul), and Kim Seo-jun (Seonchang Elementary, Gwangju) will participate. For the middle and high school division (18U), the boys' team includes Jo Han-seo (Daeshin High, Daejeon), Seo Woo-joo (Irinam Middle, Jeonbuk), Lee Do-heon (Gwandong Middle, Gangwon), Baek Sang-wook (Ilsan Middle, Ulsan), Shin Woo-min (Seongjeong Middle, Cheonan, Chungnam), Kim Woo-hyun (Masansamjin High, Gyeongnam), and Park Jung-won (Nam-il Middle, Busan). The girls' team includes Park Min-hyung (Jangnae Middle, Gyeonggi), Ahn Seo-hyung (Dongbang High, Daejeon), Lee Je-in (Hogok Middle, Gyeonggi), Jin Ha-rang (Ilsan Middle, Ulsan), and Park Soo-bin (Gimpo Geumpa Middle, Gyeonggi).
In the adult division (19+), athletes including Kim Si-eun, who currently holds the individual world record, Jeong Taek-hoon (Manchester Univ), Jeong Jae-ho, Lee Jeong-hwan, Jin Jeong-min, Lee Se-hwan, Choi Yi-jun, Lee Sang-sook, Seo Byung-sook, and Park Bok-soon (Korea Sports Stacking Association) are scheduled to compete.
Speed Stacks Korea, the official sponsor of the Korea Sports Stacking Association, will support participation fees including airfare and accommodation based on the selection rankings and season operation regulations for international competitions.
Kim Seok-tae, head coach of the Korea Sports Stacking Association national team and a teacher at Changnyeong Bugok Middle School in Gyeongnam, stated, "Malaysia has recently emerged as a powerhouse in sports stacking and, although the home team advantage exists, I am confident that if the South Korean national team members unite as one team and the newly selected players and veterans synchronize well, we can sweep all events."
Meanwhile, the national team selection challenge for the "2025 WSSA Swiss World Championship" to be held in Leiden, Zurich, Switzerland, in April 2025 is currently underway. The first round was held on October 26 at Manseong Middle School in Incheon, the second round on November 23 in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, the third round on December 14 at the Miryang Culture and Sports Center in Gyeongnam, and the final round will be held on January 18 next year at Mokwon University in Daejeon, where the national representatives heading to Switzerland will be selected.
For more details on sports stacking competitions and school sports clubs, please visit the association's website, Naver blog, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
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