Gyeonggi-do to Operate 'Athlete Opportunity Income Sports Classes' Until Year-End

Gyeonggi Province is operating the ‘Athletes’ Opportunity Income Sports Class’ throughout the province until the end of the year, where active athletes and coaches benefiting from the ‘Athletes’ Opportunity Income’ program work as one-day instructors at youth sports clubs, hobby clubs, and local children’s centers to spread the social value of athletes’ opportunity income.

Athletes’ Opportunity Income is a fair compensation for the social value created by athletes. It is a flagship policy of the 8th Gyeonggi Province administration that supports athletes, coaches, referees, and other sports personnel residing in the province who are aged 19 or older and whose income is at or below 120% of the median income.

On the 20th, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Sports Council held the first class of the ‘Athletes’ Opportunity Income Sports Class’ at Guun Elementary School in Suwon. Min Hyun-jun, a coach affiliated with Osan City Sports Council, and Jeong Su-a, a soccer player from Dongwon University, conducted special lessons and mini-games for 20 youth club soccer players.

Gyeonggi Province expects that the Athletes’ Opportunity Income Sports Class will provide an opportunity for professional athletes to contribute to community sports activities and improve the level of grassroots sports.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

The sports classes will be conducted by 130 one-day instructors who are beneficiaries of the opportunity income program, targeting hobby clubs, sports clubs, and school sports teams until the end of the year.

Jeong Su-a (Dongwon University), who participated as a one-day instructor, said, "The Opportunity Income Sports Class seems to be a great chance to teach children. It was difficult to find an environment to conduct such education, so I actually feel grateful."

Gyeonggi Province is also preparing the ‘Athletes’ Opportunity Income Sports Experience Zone,’ where beneficiaries will perform (such as Wushu) and operate grassroots sports experience booths at local festivals until November. Fifty people from 25 different sports are expected to participate.

Choi Heung-rak, Director of the Sports Promotion Division of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Through the Athletes’ Opportunity Income Sports Class, we hope that grassroots athletes active in sports clubs and hobby clubs can more easily access the experience and skills of professional athletes. We will create a virtuous cycle structure so that athletes recognized for their social value through the Opportunity Income program can contribute to local grassroots sports activities and return social value."