[Photo] Nam and Women’s Teams of Jungnang-gu Win Together at the 29th Seoul City Federation President’s Gateball Tournament

Published 10 Nov.2020 19:03(KST)

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “I am happy to have overcome COVID-19 and also won the gateball match. I hope many people will take an interest in gateball, which helps prevent dementia by improving memory and concentration.”

This is a statement from a resident who is an active senior gateball player in Jungnang-gu.

The efforts of the senior gateball players in Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) have borne fruit.

The district announced that the male and female teams of the Jungnang-gu branch won the championship at the “29th Seoul City Federation President’s Gateball Tournament,” held over two days from the 5th to the 6th at the all-weather gateball stadium located in Chang-dong, Dobong-gu, Seoul.

With the cooperation of the Korea Sports for All Federation Seoul Gateball Association, this tournament was hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Federation of the Korea Senior Citizens Association. A total of 50 teams (25 male teams and 25 female teams) from 25 branches affiliated with the Seoul Federation, comprising about 250 players, participated and competed fiercely.

In the finals, the Jungnang-gu branch male team defeated the Dobong-gu branch male team 12:10 to claim the championship, followed by the female team also winning 13:10 against the Gangdong-gu branch female team with consistent performance.

As a result of this tournament, the Jungnang-gu branch achieved a new record by having both the female and male teams win simultaneously for the first time, as well as winning the championship three times since participating in this tournament from 1990.

The Jungnang-gu branch, which won the championship, diligently practiced at the gateball stadium installed in Mangusan Reservoir Park while strictly adhering to quarantine rules amid the COVID-19 situation, setting a commendable example for residents by presenting a desirable direction for senior sports activities.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I congratulate the senior gateball players of the Jungnang-gu branch who achieved great results through passionate matches in this tournament,” and added, “We will continue to strive to promote the health of elderly residents and activate senior sports in the region.”