“We need to expand support for workplace sports departments in the 5 districts of Daejeon”

(Daejeon = News 1) Reporter Kim Ki-tae = With the Workplace Athletics Department, which was operated in the autonomous district of Daejeon City, being dismantled one after another due to lack of budget, voices calling for expansion of support for the existing unemployment team are growing.

According to the sports world on the 9th, the five districts of Daejeon operated unemployed teams such as boxing, badminton, track and field, judo, kendo, and taekwondo, but they were disbanded in 2012 due to lack of budget.

Currently, there is only a women’s wrestling team (1 manager, 1 coach, 6 players) operated by Yuseong-gu. Founded in 1989, the Yuseong-gu women’s wrestling team participated in seven competitions in 2021 and won 5 gold medals, 2 silver medals and 8 bronze medals, and last year won 7 gold medals, 8 silver medals, and 9 bronze medals. In particular, coach Yoo Bae-hee was appointed as the coach of the national wrestling team.

An official from Yuseong-gu said, “We need realistic support from the city in running the team,” and said, “We hope that the Yuseong-gu wrestling team will expand support for the existing management team as much as it has contributed to the development of Daejeon Sports.”

Regarding this, it has been confirmed that the city is currently reviewing plans and support budgets related to the establishment of the Workplace Sports Department team.

A city official said, “Around the middle of this month, we plan to hold a working-level meeting with the people in charge of the autonomous district about ‘fostering the founding of the workplace sports department’.”

Meanwhile, on the 23rd of last month, Mayor Lee Jang-woo met with the heads of five districts at the ‘4th City-Gu Cooperation Meeting’ held at Seo-gu Office to discuss ‘fostering the founding of the autonomous district workplace sports department’.

At this meeting, Mayor Lee promised to support 40% of the operating expenses (up to 50% depending on the degree of financial independence) of each district if each district establishes an unemployed team to prevent the outflow of excellent local players due to the absence of an unemployed team. did.

In response, each district is reviewing the establishment of a workplace sports team by selecting an event linked to school sports by region according to the city’s proposal.

Dong-gu has confirmed and is preparing to establish a soft tennis team, and Jung-gu is known to be discussing the establishment of a kendo team. Seo-gu and Daedeok-gu are also reviewing sports to create a team.

An official from Yuseong-gu explained that if 40% of the operating expenses of the unemployment team are subsidized as per the city policy, the burden on the operation of the women’s wrestling team as well as the establishment of an additional team will be reduced.

An official from the Daejeon sports world emphasized, “As Daejeon City succeeded in hosting the 2027 Summer World University Games, there is a need to hold a national sports event in the future, so we need to increase support for strengthening the existing unemployment team even to expand sports infrastructure.”

Seo Chil-man, head of the Daejeon Sports Council Executive Directors Association (executive director of the Athletics Federation), said, “Daejeon is performing poorly in national events such as the National Sports Festival due to a lack of sports infrastructure and players.” We welcome it, and all athletes will contribute.”

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