▲ Promising athletes participating in the Summer Sports Camp for Youth Prospects
A talent scout team dedicated to early detection and systematic nurturing of promising athletes with potential in parasports is officially setting sail.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that it will hold the launch ceremony for the youth prospect scout team alongside the Korea Paralympic Committee and Korea National University of Education at 2:00 p.m. today at the Icheon National Training Center in Gyeonggi Province.
The new scout team features a paradigm shift, moving away from conventional recruitment methods by directly visiting schools and local communities.
Composed of a total of 50 members—including 19 appointed by the Korea Paralympic Committee and 31 from the Korea National University of Education—the initiative combines sports expertise with educational field cooperation networks.
The Korea Paralympic Committee will oversee the operation of the scout team based on its network in the sports sector.
After reviewing information on recommended students with disabilities, professional members will visit the field directly to evaluate growth potential, connect athletes with suitable sports disciplines, and provide intensive support.
Ahead of the scheduled opening of a specialized middle and high school for physical education in 2028, the Korea National University of Education will actively utilize its educational networking.
It will take on the role of proactively discovering talented students in frontline physical education classes and providing practical information necessary for pursuing a career as an athlete and entering higher education for interested students.
In addition, the two organizations decided to jointly utilize a database for athlete scouting and create synergy by linking related programs, such as winter and summer sports camps for youth prospects.
Kang Dae-geum, Director General for Sports Cooperation at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "By joining forces, the sports and education sectors will actively seek out hidden parasports talents across schools and local communities, creating a virtuous cycle of athlete development that allows youth prospects to grow into national representatives."
(Photo provided by the Korea Paralympic Committee, Yonhap News)
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