Four contributors to the development of wrestling received commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The Korea Wrestling Association announced on the 31st that commendations from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism were presented to four contributors who worked hard for the development of wrestling during the ‘14th Day of Wrestling’ ceremony held at the Mun-gyeong Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Choi Jeong-man (35, from the Yeongam City traditional wrestling team), who achieved the titles of the King of Wrestling at the Dano Festival last year and the King of Wrestling in the Folk Wrestling League (2024 Pyeongchang Competition, 2024 Samcheok Competition), was selected as the awardee in the institutional sector. Choi also claimed the title of King of Wrestling at this year's Lunar New Year Competition, bringing his total number of titles to 22.
In the coaching sector, Hong Seong-tae, the head coach of Kyunghee University, was selected. Coach Hong has served as a coach and director of the Kyunghee University wrestling team since 2001, and he has been recognized for discovering and nurturing outstanding athletes, contributing to the development of wrestling and the improvement of competitive performance.
In the contribution sector, Son Jae-geun, president of the Jeonnam Wrestling Association, and Professor Lee Ga-ram of Gyeongsang National University were commended for their contributions to attracting national wrestling competitions and promoting local wrestling. Professor Lee conducted in-depth studies on the organizational process and development of Korean wrestling, helping to establish a historical identity for Korean wrestling and build a foundation for compiling the historical book of the Korea Wrestling Association.
‘Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism commendation for contributions to the promotion of folk wrestling’ recipients
- Athlete Choi Jeong-man from the Yeongam City traditional wrestling team in the competitive sector.
- Coach Hong Seong-tae from Kyunghee University in the coaching sector.
- President Son Jae-geun of the Jeonnam Wrestling Association in the contribution sector.
- Professor Lee Ga-ram of Gyeongsang National University in the contribution sector.
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