Ssireum Hometown Changwon Hosts Haksan Kim Seongryul Jangsa Championship Ssireum Tournament

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Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, held the opening ceremony of the 20th Haksan Kim Seong-ryul Jangsa National Jangsa Ssireum Tournament on the 29th in cooperation with the Korea Ssireum Association.

The tournament has been taking place at the gymnasium inside the Jinhae Culture Center from the 28th of last month until April 3rd.

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam held the opening ceremony of the 20th Haksan Kim Seong-ryul Jangsae National Jangsa Ssireum Tournament in cooperation with the Korea Ssireum Association.

Hosted by the Korea Ssireum Association and organized by the Gyeongsangnam-do Ssireum Association and Changwon City Ssireum Association, this tournament honors the achievements and challenging spirit of the late Jangsa Kim Seong-ryul, known as the legend of the sand ring, and marks its 20th edition since its establishment in 2004.

Kim Seong-ryul (1948?2004), a native of Changwon, was a Ssireum hero who dominated the sand ring for over a decade, achieving eight consecutive victories starting with the 7th Presidential National Jangsa Ssireum Tournament in 1970, as well as four consecutive wins at the KBS Cup National Jangsa Ssireum Tournament.

The tournament features 710 athletes from 135 teams nationwide, beginning with the preliminary rounds for middle school divisions on the 28th, followed by individual and team matches across elementary, middle, high school, university, and general divisions. From the preliminary rounds to the quarterfinals, matches are single elimination, while the semifinals and finals are conducted in a best-of-three format.

Jo Myung-rae, the 2nd Deputy Mayor, stated, “This tournament, held during the 61st Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, a representative festival of Changwon Special City, will be a great opportunity to promote Ssireum.” He added, “As the government has designated 2023 as the year of Ssireum revival, the city will actively strive to develop Ssireum as the birthplace of the sport.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.