Jeollanam-do, Once a Youth Tennis Wasteland, Gears Up for a Major Leap

Launch of Jeonnam Sports Middle and High School Tennis Team
Establishment of a Systematic Player Development System

Yoo Insuk, President of the Jeonnam Tennis Association, recently donated 30 million won in scholarships to commemorate the founding of the Jeonnam Sports Middle and High School tennis team. Provided by Jeonnam Sports Council

The Jeonnam Sports Middle and High School tennis team, which will lead the future of tennis in Jeollanam-do, has been officially launched. Expectations are rising that the establishment of a systematic player development system in the Jeollanam-do region, once considered barren ground for tennis, will now gain momentum.

According to the Jeollanam-do Sports Council and the Jeonnam Tennis Association on the 25th, the Jeonnam Tennis Association held a founding ceremony for the Jeonnam Sports Middle and High School tennis team and a scholarship presentation ceremony on the 21st at the Mokpo Art Wedding Convention, announcing a new leap forward for tennis in Jeollanam-do.

This founding goes beyond the simple launch of a school sports team and is highly symbolic in that it signifies the completion of a "linked development system" that connects early discovery of promising young players to their growth into professional athletes.

It is expected to serve as a turning point in resolving the structural limitation whereby promising local players who had stood out at the elementary school level were forced to move to other regions when entering middle and high school due to the absence of local teams.

Above all, at the center of this achievement were the bold decisions and dedication of Yoo Insuk, president of the Jeonnam Tennis Association.

Yoo, whose love for sports in Jeollanam-do runs deeper than anyone else's, as shown by her serving in the key role of vice president of the Jeollanam-do Sports Council, donated KRW 30 million in founding scholarships and additionally provided training equipment such as rackets and balls worth KRW 3 million.

Furthermore, by presenting a blueprint to continue sponsoring training equipment on a quarterly basis until the players graduate, she has laid the foundation for long-term joint growth rather than one-off support.

The Jeollanam-do Sports Council also plans to accelerate efforts to minimize the outflow of local talent and to establish a virtuous cycle model for Jeollanam-do-style sports talent, through ongoing close cooperation with sports federations.

Yoo Insuk, president of the Jeonnam Tennis Association, said, "I hope our children can freely swing their rackets and nurture their dreams in their hometown," adding, "Taking this founding as a starting point, our association will take responsibility for the entire process, from talent identification and professional development to advancement onto national and international stages."