Gov’t supports amateur sports

[Anchor]

For those who play soccer or baseball as a hobby every weekend, finding a sports field is like trying to catch a star in the sky.

With the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, various promotion and relegation leagues are being held starting this year, providing a foundation for amateur athletes to focus on their games without worrying about finding a playing field.

Reporter Lee Jun-hee reports.

[Report]

A soccer field at Hangang Riverside Park located in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Players participating in the K7 league match shout "fighting!" with determination.

["Fighting!"]

Their play may be a bit clumsy, but there is a coach, a referee, and everything that needs to make a game happen.

The main striker of the 'Level Up' team, wearing a green uniform, is a pastor named Ye-jun.

After conducting pastoral activities during the week, he transforms into a soccer player on Saturdays, running towards promotion.

[Ki Ye-jun/Amateur soccer player: "I am 32 year old Ki Ye-jun, and my profession is a pastor. Our team's goal is to win this time and get promoted to K6."]

Dong-yeop, a physical therapist, says the best part is not having to search for a field after participating in the division league.

[Kim Dong-yeop: "We worry a lot about finding a field, especially for regular amateur soccer clubs. Fortunately, we are able to train on a large field."]

The promotion and relegation league offers opportunities to play continuous matches against teams of similar skill levels in a better environment.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to invest over 24.5 billion won in the promotion and relegation league, which will expand this year to include basketball, volleyball, handball, and hockey, covering a total of 11 sports.

The introduction of the promotion and relegation league aims to bridge the gap between amateur and elite sports and induce a virtuous cycle.

It remains to be seen whether the dream of seeing a local badminton master at the Olympics can become a reality.

This is KBS News, Lee Jun-hee.