**Gold, Silver, Bronze: 19, 5, and 7 Medals Won Respectively**
Amateur sports prospects attended the 2nd SK Sports Dream Tree Sponsorship Ceremony this past March. (From the back row, left to right) Namadi Joel Jin (athletics), Kim Jun-woo, No Min-kyu (both swimming), and from the front row, left to right, Noh Hyun-seung (sport climbing), Choi Seung-hee (golf), Oh Kyung-sik SKT sports marketing manager, Park Ye-bin (cycling), Park Jung-hoon (golf). ©SKT
According to journalist Min Dan-bi, athletes supported by SK Telecom in sports such as athletics, swimming, gymnastics, and modern pentathlon won a total of 31 medals at the National Sports Festival.
SK Telecom announced on October 18 that athletes sponsored by the company participated in the 105th National Sports Festival held in Gimhae, Gyeongnam from the 11th to the 17th, winning 19 gold, 5 silver, and 7 bronze medals.
Notably, among the sports prospects supported by SK Telecom, swimmers Kim Jun-woo and No Min-kyu, gymnast Moon Geon-young, modern pentathlete Shin Soo-min, and athlete Namadi Joel Jin stood out by winning multiple medals, showcasing their growth as upcoming leaders in Korean sports.
Swimmers Kim Jun-woo (Kwangseong High School) and No Min-kyu (Gyeonggi High School) both claimed four victories each during the event. Kim Jun-woo topped the men’s U18 400m and 1500m freestyle and 400m and 800m relay, while No Min-kyu excelled in the men’s U18 200m and 400m individual medley and 400m and 800m relay.
Modern pentathlete Shin Soo-min (Seoul Physical Education High School) earned three gold medals in the women’s U18 individual, team, and relay events. Shin Soo-min also secured victory in the individual category at the competition, setting a record of being the top high school female athlete at the National Sports Festival for three consecutive years.
Gymnast Moon Geon-young (Gwangju Physical Education High School) clinched three gold medals in the men’s U18 horizontal bar, parallel bars, and individual all-around, and also received two silver and one bronze medal.
Athlete Namadi Joel Jin (Gimpo Science Technology High School) won gold in the men’s U18 100m and 400m relay. Sport climber Noh Hyun-seung (Busan Shinjeong High School), even as a first-year high school student, competed against adult male athletes and won a bronze medal in the lead category.
SK Telecom’s sports talent support program is now in its third year. Initiated to identify and support promising middle and high school athletes from an early stage of growth, the selection encompasses about 30 individuals annually.
Entering its third year, the program is beginning to bear fruit. Track and field high jumper Choi Jin-woo participated as a national representative in the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. Modern pentathlete Shin Soo-min, swimmer Kim Jun-woo, gymnast Moon Geon-young, and skateboarder Jeong Ji-hoon were also selected as national representatives.
In addition to discovering middle and high school sports talents, SK Telecom sponsors national athletes in less popular amateur sports, including swimming (Hwang Sun-woo), weightlifting (Park Hye-jung), rhythmic gymnastics (Son Ji-in), and skateboarding (Jo Hyun-joo).
Oh Kyung-sik, head of SK Telecom Sports Marketing, stated, “We will continue our efforts to discover and support promising young athletes with high growth potential.”