Teqball and Kurash Associations Jointly Appeal for Corporate Teams and Institutional Support After Nagoya Gold Medals

The governing bodies for teqball and kurash, which both secured gold medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, have jointly appealed for improvements in athlete training environments and the establishment of corporate teams.

In a joint statement released on October 12, the Korea Teqball Federation and the Korea Kurash Federation said, "Although we won precious gold medals in our first appearance at this Asian Games, our athletes are currently in tough conditions where they must juggle their livelihoods and training." They requested corporations and local governments to establish corporate teams and provide institutional support.

Both sports were adopted as official events at this tournament, with South Korea topping the podium through Lee Joon-seok in the men's teqball singles and Kim Min-young in the women's kurash over-87kg division.


However, both organizations are currently recognized organizations under the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee and face structural limitations in secretariat operations and administrative support.

So far, national team training and tournament participation have been managed through their own financial resources and out-of-pocket contributions from executive members.

To ensure that this achievement is not just a one-time success, the two organizations requested policy improvements, including ▲ support for corporations and local governments to create corporate teams, ▲ support for office space and administrative operating expenses, ▲ subsidies for national team training and international competition expenses, and ▲ transitional support for conversion to full membership.

Yoo Song-keun, President of the Korea Teqball Federation, and Bae Hyung-sik, President of the Korea Kurash Federation, expressed hope, saying, "As this is a precious result achieved through individual dedication and sacrifice, a stable system must now back it up to establish a sustainable foundation for athlete development."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.