The 22nd Disabled Winter Sports Games Open with the Largest Scale Ever

A Record 1,135 Participants Compete Across Gangwon Province Until the 14th

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and hosted by the Korea Paralympic Committee, the "22nd National Winter Sports Festival for the Disabled" will be held on a record scale from the 11th to the 14th across Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province.

This year, 1,135 participants (525 athletes and 610 officials and related personnel) from 17 city and provincial teams will compete. Athletes will showcase their skills in seven events. Cross-country skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing, and snowboarding competitions will take place at the Pyeongchang Alpensia Biathlon Stadium and resorts, as well as Phoenix Park. Ice hockey and curling events will be held at the Gangneung Hockey Center, and ice skating (short track) competitions will be held at the Chuncheon Songam Sports Town Ice Rink.

[Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]

The Winter Sports Festival for the Disabled serves as an opportunity to discover outstanding winter sports athletes and enhance their skills. Since its first event in 2004, this marks the 22nd edition of the largest winter sports competition for people with disabilities. It has also contributed to improving awareness of disabilities by spreading a culture of enjoying winter sports among the disabled.

All events are free for anyone to watch. Detailed information such as the competition schedule and venue locations can be found on the official website of the Winter Sports Festival for the Disabled, and stories and news related to the event are available on the official blog.

On the 11th, Jang Mi-ran, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will visit the opening ceremony held at the Lakai Sandpine Resort in Gangneung to encourage the athletes.

Vice Minister Jang stated, "I know that all athletes participating in the competition have come this far by going through the challenging process of overcoming their own limits," and added, "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will strive to create an environment where people with disabilities can pursue their dreams through sports."

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