'Table Tennis' Yoo Seung-min Announces Candidacy for Sports Council President: "Turning Worry and Fear into Hope and Happiness"

Yoo Seung-min (42), former chairman of the Korea Table Tennis Association and former athlete member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), officially announced his candidacy for the 42nd president of the Korea Sports Council.

On the morning of the 3rd, Yoo held a press conference at the Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, to announce his candidacy and share his vision for leading the Sports Council. Yoo stated, "Student athletes and their parents, coaches struggling with only minimum wage-level treatment driven by a sense of mission to nurture even one athlete, and the increasingly declining interest and importance in sports have made the media coverage environment extremely difficult. To transform all these worries and fears back into hope and happiness, I, Yoo Seung-min, am challenging myself to become the president of the Korea Sports Council."

Former Korea Table Tennis Association President Yoo Seung-min is speaking at a press conference officially declaring his candidacy for the Korea Sports Council President on the morning of the 3rd at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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He continued, "An administrative expert with on-site experience, who has physically learned to respond appropriately to the ever-changing situations from a young age, must take the lead. I understand the hearts of athletes, coaches, parents, and administrators better than anyone else, and I promise to create the happy sports world you all dream of."

His pledges for the development of the Sports Council and sports community include ▲ mutual growth through securing autonomy of local sports councils and sports disciplines ▲ introduction of athlete and coach care systems ▲ school sports revitalization projects ▲ establishment of advanced sports infrastructure through specialization of community sports ▲ global-centered K-Sports ▲ enhancement of self-sustainability through building a revenue platform for the Korea Sports Council.

Regarding the unification of 'opposition candidates' to block the third term of Lee Ki-heung (69), who is aiming for a third term as president, Yoo said, "I am willing to participate if necessary," adding, "Unification is a technical and complex issue, so a fair method that everyone can agree on must come first. Since I believe I am ahead among the candidates, I will not rush the unification process."

Yoo, a gold medalist in men's singles table tennis at the 2004 Athens Olympics, played a leading role in achieving Korea's best results in 12 years at this year's Paris Olympics, where Korean table tennis won bronze medals in mixed doubles and women's team events. He was elected as the second overall in the IOC athlete member election held during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and has been active on the international sports stage for eight years until the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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