Sanggyeong Middle School in Seoul and Seongseong Middle School in Incheon won the middle school and middle school championships in the 1st Vice Prime Minister’s Cup School Sports Club Mixed Team National Handball Competition.
Sanggyeong Middle School and Sungseong Middle School each won and took the top spot in the finals of the middle school and middle school divisions of the 1st Vice Prime Minister’s Cup School Sports Club Mixed Team National Handball Competition held at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium and Korea National Sport University in Songpa-gu, Seoul for two days on the 16th and 17th.
This competition was held jointly by the Korea Handball Association with the Ministry of Education and the School Sports Promotion Corridor to revitalize school sports clubs.
news/cms/202411/18/news-p.v1.20241118.484566372f5e4d12958e83a4755894b3_R.jpg" data-width="600" data-height="305" /> Enlarged photo 1st Deputy Prime Minister’s Cup School Sports Club Handball Competition Award Ceremony_Middle School Boys’ Championship Team, Photo courtesy of Korea Handball Association
In this competition, 9 teams participated in the boys’ middle school division and 3 teams participated in the girls’ middle school division, and there was a heated competition. Participating teams participated in the competition by forming a team comprised entirely of regular students or a mixed team in which both regular students and student athletes participated.
In particular, in handball, for the first time, general students and student athletes participated in the game on one team, presenting a new model of physical education activities that combine professional sports and student sports. In the past, there have been cases of school sports club teams and elite teams competing against each other in elementary school competitions in handball, but this is the first time that regular students and student athletes have formed one team.
Considering the gap in skill between participating players, the Korea Handball Association updated the competition regulations so that up to 6 student players can register per team and up to 2 can participate in the game. In addition, to prevent the game from being biased toward student athletes, the scores of student athletes are not recognized and only the scores of general students are recognized. All players registered on a team are required to participate in the game on the court for at least 3 minutes and all players play handball together. so that you can enjoy it.
Sanggyeong Middle School, Incheon Hyosung Middle School, Shinyong Middle School, and Mandeok Middle School advanced to the semifinals of the boys’ middle school division. In the semifinals, Sangkyung Middle School beat Shinyong Middle School 16-11 to advance to the finals, and Incheon Hyosung Middle School defeated Mandeok Middle School 10-3 to advance to the finals.
In the finals, Sanggyeong Middle School defeated Incheon Hyosung Middle School 12-10 in a close match that went into overtime to win the championship. Sangkyung Middle School led 4-2 in the first half, but fell behind 6-8 in the second half, resulting in a draw. However, Sangkyung Middle School took a 2-0 lead in overtime and won 12-10.
Sangkyung Middle School led the attack with Kang Dong-hyun, Kim Yu-chan, Yoo In-woo, and Tae Hyun-woo scoring two goals each. Yoo In-woo was selected as the MVP of the boys’ middle school division, and Cheonan-dong Middle School received the Fair Play Award.
news/cms/202411/18/news-p.v1.20241118.d827e9ab9b244c639aa685aa77adaa34_R.jpg" data-width="600" data-height="402" /> Enlarged photo 1st Deputy Prime Minister’s Cup School Sports Club Handball Competition Award Ceremony_Winning team of middle school girls, photo courtesy of Korea Handball Association
In the girls’ middle school division, Chungseong Middle School, Uijeongbu Girls’ Middle School, and Sanggyeong Middle School participated and played two games per team. Chungseong Middle School won the championship with 3 wins and 1 loss, Uijeongbu Girls’ Middle School finished runner-up with 2 wins and 2 losses, and Chungseong Middle School ranked 3rd with 1 win and 3 losses. Park Yu-jin of Chungcheong Middle School scored 15 goals and was selected as the MVP of the game.
The Ministry of Education expanded the school sports club national mixed team competition to handball this year to provide more students with opportunities for physical activities, following the basketball competition held for the first time last year. The Ministry of Education announced that handball was newly included this year because it is a representative sport that helps improve students’ character skills through close cooperation and communication between team members in attack and defense. The school sports club national mixed team competition was held this year in two sports: basketball and handball.
The School Sports Promotion Association gave the meaning of the competition as a valuable opportunity for all students to enjoy and learn together, where student athletes and general students can work together to demonstrate teamwork and go beyond the boundaries between professional and student sports.
Using this competition as a stepping stone, the Korea Handball Association aims to actively promote handball, a school-type sport, to schools along with school sports clubs, and re-enter the school sports club national competition in 2025.
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How can the collaboration between regular students and student athletes in the competition foster a positive school culture and promote inclusivity among peers?
1. What are your thoughts on the significance of the 1st Vice Prime Minister’s Cup School Sports Club Mixed Team National Handball Competition in promoting physical activity and sports among middle school students in South Korea? How do you think this competition can help in developing teamwork, communication, and cooperation skills among students, particularly when they are playing on the same team?
2. As we can see from the article, this is the first time that regular middle school students and student athletes are participating in the same team in a handball competition. Can you share your experience of working together with these two types of players? What were some of the challenges and rewards of this unique experience?
3. How do you think this competition can be made more inclusive for students who might not have as much experience or skill in handball? Are there any changes or adjustments that could be made to the rules or regulations to make it more fair for all participants?
4. The competition this year was held in two sports, basketball and handball. Do you think that adding more sports to the mix could be beneficial for the overall growth and development of school sports in South Korea? If so, which sports do you think should be considered next?
5. As someone involved in handball, what do you think are the key factors that contributed to Sanggyeong Middle School’s and Sungseong Middle School’s success in this competition? Can you share any specific strategies or techniques they used that stood out?
6. what are your goals or hopes for the future of handball as a school sport in South Korea, and how do you see the continued growth and development of school sports clubs playing a role in this?
