Korean group launched for Asian Winter Video games in China

Korean athletes and officers for the 2025 Asian Winter Video games pose throughout their delegation launch ceremony in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Korean athletes competing within the upcoming Asian Winter Video games held their delegation launch ceremony in Seoul on Friday, vowing to make the nation proud with their performances on ice and snow.

The Chinese language metropolis of Harbin will host the ninth version of the Asian Winter Video games from Feb. 7 to 14. It is going to be the primary Winter Asiad because the 2017 occasion in Sapporo, Japan.

Sixty-four gold medals might be up for grabs in six sports activities and 11 disciplines, together with alpine snowboarding, curling, determine skating, brief monitor velocity skating, snowboarding and hockey.

Korea will ship 149 athletes and 74 officers in all 11 occasions.

This yr’s Asian Winter Video games will function a prelude to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

„I would wish to congratulate our athletes on the start of your nice journey. I’m trying ahead to seeing all of you reap fruits of your onerous work,“ mentioned Yu In-chon, minister of tradition, sports activities and tourism, at first of the ceremony. „I additionally hope you’ll set a superb instance for the remainder of Asia together with your show of excellent sportsmanship.“

Yu additionally supplied the ministry’s full assist in increasing the bottom of winter sports activities within the nation and permitting athletes to focus on their coaching.

Choi Hong-hoon, president of the Korea Ski Snowboard Affiliation and the nation’s chef de mission to Harbin, additionally referred to as on the athletes to uphold the values of honest play.

„I hope all of you’ll really feel happy with being a part of this competitors and attain your targets whereas additionally displaying the spirit of honest play,“ Choi mentioned. „My workers and I’ll assist make sure that you’ll compete to the very best of your skills.“

In 2017, Korea gained its Asian Winter Video games document of 16 gold medals and 50 medals in whole to complete in second place behind Japan within the medal race.

Among the many returning athletes are brief tracker Choi Min-jeong, and velocity skaters Lee Seung-hoon and Kim Min-sun. (Yonhap)