The 44th National Sports Festival for the Disabled opens… Over 9,800 athletes continue the enthusiasm for the National Sports Festival

The 44th National Sports Festival for the Disabled opened on the afternoon of the 25th at Gimhae Sports Complex in Gyeongnam, the main stadium of the competition.

The opening ceremony, held under the theme of ‘Sail To The Future with a Vibrant Wind,’ was attended by 9,806 athletes and residents, including athletes from 17 cities and provinces across the country and overseas Korean athletes from the United States and the United States.

The opening ceremony began with an Arang Gogo janggu performance, a trot performance by Bae Jin-ah, a singer from Gyeongnam, and a chorus by the Gyeongnam Provincial Arts Troupe, and proceeded with the entrance of the athletes, the hoisting of the competition flag, the oath of representatives of athletes and referees, the theme performance, and the lighting of the torch.

Following the performance of Gaya Gochidae, which expressed the spirit and bravery of the Gaya people, the founders of Gimhae, the main opening site, the entering athletes pledged to have a great match to continue the excitement of the National Sports Festival.

The theme performances include ▲ a joint performance between a dance troupe for people with intellectual disabilities and a dance troupe for non-disabled people, ▲ a drawing performance using virtual reality (VR), ▲ a 360-degree rotating wheelchair performance, etc., conveying a message of support, empathy, and unity to the athletes overcoming disabilities and prejudice. It was done.

The torch bearers include Kang Oe-taek, first place winner in the men’s club throw F32 (athlete section) at the 43rd National Paralympic Games from Changwon, Ahn Il-jun, president of the Gyeongsangnam-do Showdown Association for the Disabled, and Heo Seon-sil, second place women’s individual all-around winner at the 2023 World Deaf Bowling Championships from Uiryeong. They were carried to the cauldron one by one by Lee Ho-jun, a two-gold winner in men’s weightlifting at the 43rd National Paralympic Games from Gimhae, and Joo Young-dae, a gold medalist in table tennis at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics from Jinju.

In his welcoming speech at the opening ceremony, Governor Park Wan-soo said, “I send infinite respect and praise to the athletes who have overcome their limitations through indomitable challenges and are proudly standing here.” He added, “This competition will shine brightly on the values ​​of harmony and respect, understanding, and empathy.” “I hope it will become a watershed for a new, shining disabled sports culture,” he said.

The 44th National Sports Festival for the Disabled will be held for 6 days from the 25th to the 30th, with 31 events in 37 stadiums in the province, centered around Gimhae, the main host city, and the closing ceremony will be held at the Gimhae Indoor Stadium at 3 p.m. on the 30th.

This competition will feature a number of disabled sports heroes, including shooter Park Jin-ho (Gangneung City Hall), who won two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and won the Korean team’s MVP (MVP), and ironman triathlete Kim Hwang-tae (POSCO FutureM), who swam the Seine River without his arms. I participate.

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