The Namyangju Yanoll Youth Baseball Team, led by Coach Kwon Oh-hyun, won the championship at the 2025 5th Sunchang Gochujang Cup National Youth Baseball Tournament, defeating this year’s strongest Sejong City Youth Baseball Team 7-6 after a thrilling match. Coach Kwon received the coaching award.
Coach Kwon said, "With this tournament victory, our Namyangju Yanoll Youth Baseball Team has obtained 89 championship trophies over a span of 10 years since our first victory in 2015 to this year, 2025," adding, "I am most satisfied with our consistent good performance over many years through balanced participation in grade leagues, and it has been possible because of the support from both our graduated players and our current players, and I want to commend all of them."
Furthermore, Coach Kwon emphasized, "After victory, another opportunity for competition is presented, and I believe that through new experiences, both the team and individual players can continue to grow. If the players do not give up, I will trust them and concentrate on the game to the best of my ability."
The Namyangju Yanoll Youth Baseball Team, which won the championship in the top youth baseball league, the U-13 Youth Cheongryong League, has produced professional baseball players over the past five years, including Choi Seung-yong from Doosan, Oh Sang-won from Kiwoom Heroes, and Kim Seong-jae from Doosan. Additionally, they have been a representative youth baseball team that combines playing baseball as a hobby with excellent academic achievements leading to admissions to prestigious universities, such as Maeng Woo-young from Seoul National University.
Meanwhile, the tournament organized by the Korea Youth Baseball Federation was successfully concluded with over 3,000 participants, including players and parents from 110 teams, over six days from June 6 to 11 at nine venues, including the Paljeok Baseball Stadium in the youth baseball hub of Jeollabuk-do Sunchang County. The tournament featured a preliminary group league and a final knockout format across a total of six categories competing for championship cups: Seedling League (U-9), Dream League (U-11), Youth League (U-13), and Junior League (U-16).
Lee Sang-geun, president of the Korea Youth Baseball Federation, remarked, "It is truly a time when attention and encouragement from existing baseball organizations, including the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), toward youth baseball is necessary. Even though a sharp decline in youth baseball players due to low birth rates is evident, there are still those who only assert existing rights and refuse a new paradigm. This is rather a system that works against the times, making it difficult for both players and parents. It is urgent to implement policies so that all can coexist and develop, without distinguishing between youth baseball, elementary school baseball teams, and Little Baseball."
He further added, "I sincerely thank County Mayor Choi Young-il of Sunchang County, who continuously upgrades the facilities every year and perfectly supports youth baseball and regional development as the best youth baseball facilities in the country, as well as Sunchang County Council Chairman Son Jong-seok and all involved."
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