Teqball gold medalist Lee Jun-seok transitioned from playing football to a new sport, overcoming housing complaints that repeatedly halted his training, according to a broadcast appearance.
From K4 League Pitches to Teqball Tables
Lee spent his formative athletic years playing association football, starting at age nine through his early twenties in South Korea’s K4 League. Reaching what he perceived as his competitive ceiling in football, he chose to step away from the sport.
Stepping away from football left the athlete grappling with a sudden vacuum after dedicating his entire adolescence to the game, noting that he felt as though nothing remained after pouring his school years into the sport. Following his departure from football, Lee competed briefly as a jokgu player, earning tournament match fees to sustain his livelihood before an acquaintance recommended teqball.
Overcoming Equipment Costs and Training Hurdles
Transitioning into teqball presented immediate logistical barriers, chief among them the scarcity and high cost of the specialized curved tables required for the sport. The most affordable entry-level table available domestically cost between 2.5 million and 3 million South Korean won, an insurmountable sum for a 21-year-old athlete.
Lee’s mother ultimately purchased the training table after recognizing her son’s genuine need, providing the financial backing that sustained him through his preparations for international competition, including the Asian Games. Securing a table did not resolve the training shortage, as local facilities proved difficult to access.
Securing Apartment Badminton Courts Amid Noise Complaints
Without access to a dedicated national training center early in his career, Lee approached his local apartment management office to secure permission to practice at the residential complex’s badminton courts. Solitary training sessions generated recurring noise complaints from residents, forcing management to order the removal of the training table and interrupting his preparations.
Lee’s mother recounted watching her son struggle to find any facility willing to accommodate his training setup, noting that no external organization offered a space during the arduous buildup to his gold-medal run.
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