Korean Air Launches Clay Shooting Team: "Fostering Less Popular Sports"

The Korean Air Clay Shooting Team held its founding ceremony and was officially launched on January 9.

Korean Air hosted the founding ceremony for its clay shooting team on the morning of January 9 at the company’s headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

Clay shooting is a sport in which participants shoot at flying disc-shaped targets in the air. It became widely recognized around the world after being adopted as an official event at the 1900 Paris Olympics. However, among the various shooting disciplines, it is known for its high costs and limited pool of athletes, making it a sport with a relatively weak foundation for developing elite competitors.

Officials are taking a commemorative photo at the founding ceremony of the Korean Air Clay Shooting Team. Provided by Korean Air

The establishment of the Korean Air Clay Shooting Team was planned to promote the growth and revitalization of less popular sports, expand the base of the sport, and enhance the nation’s standing by developing national team athletes and winning medals at international competitions.

Lee Bona, who won Korea’s first-ever Olympic medals in clay shooting with a silver (double trap) and a bronze (trap) at the 2004 Athens Olympics, will serve as a player-coach for the team. A player-coach is an athlete who also takes on coaching responsibilities while competing. Joining her is Eom Soyeon, a veteran athlete who has competed since 2010 and has an extensive record of winning domestic and international competitions.

A Korean Air official stated, “We plan to provide full support so that the clay shooting team can fully demonstrate their abilities in domestic and international competitions,” adding, “Korean Air will continue to support and foster less popular sports and work to broaden their foundation.”