Chungcheongnam-do achieved meaningful results in a difficult competition.
Chungcheongnam-do defeated Gyeonggi-do 46-28 in the mixed gender (intellectual developmental disability) middle school game of the 17th National Disabled Students Sports Festival held at Ulsan Auto Valley Welfare Center on the 19th. Chungcheongnam-do, who won two games, won the gold medal.
Chungcheongnam-do participated in the 8th National Disabled Students Sports Festival held in 2015, but did not win at the time, and has not participated in the competition ever since. The continuous efforts of the Chungnam Disabled Basketball Association, including coach Choi Jin-young, led to the discovery and development of players, and finally this year’s team was able to be formed.
Yong Tae-kyung (16, Seolhwa Middle School) suffered major and minor injuries while preparing for the tournament. She was in such a condition that she could not fully focus only on training. Nonetheless, he led the victory by passing the defender at high speed and scoring.
Yong Tae-kyung said, “I prepared hard, and he is really happy to win. In fact, it was difficult to maintain a good condition until the competition. Still, she felt thrilled when passing a defender at high speed in a game. He said, “I will make him a better player.”
Son Woo-young (15, Shin Jeong-joong, Onyang), who has been playing basketball for a year now, had to spend a long time understanding his difficult basketball rules. He was able to overcome difficulties thanks to his teammates and coaches who waited and explained to him every time he trained. He also hit two 3-pointers to the rim on the day.
Son Woo-young said, “I am happy to win with my brothers. I want to share my joy with my parents, and I want to go to school and show off. My parents and teachers supported me a lot, and I am really grateful. I will show you a good image in the future, so I hope you will pay attention.”안전놀이터
Basketball has stricter rules and regulations than other sports. It is difficult for non-disabled people to understand, but coach Choi Jin-young explained to the players step by step and guided them calmly. As a result, Chungcheongnam-do was able to win the gold medal as a team.
Manager Choi Jin-young said, “All the players and coaching staff who have been on a happy journey have worked hard, and I am grateful. We express our gratitude to those who supported us behind the scenes, including the Chungcheongnam-do Office of Education, the Sports and Basketball Association for the Disabled, and the Asan Welfare Center for the Disabled, who did not spare their encouragement and support. I will do my best for sports welfare in the future.”
Byun Hyeon-soo, secretary general of the Chungnam Disabled Sports Association, who supported behind the scenes to win the gold medal, said, “I am very happy to have won a valuable gold medal in a basketball event that I have participated in for the first time in a long time. We will continue to support the players so that they can fulfill their dreams and hopes.”