Amateur Athletes Sponsored by SK Telecom Shine at the 106th National Sports Festival

SK Telecom announced on the 27th that amateur athletes sponsored by the company achieved remarkable results at the 106th National Sports Festival, winning 27 gold, 7 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
Since 2022, SK Telecom has supported national amateur athletes in various disciplines, including Park Hye-jeong, a leading figure in Korean weightlifting, Su-Min Shin in modern pentathlon, and Jinwoo Choi in high jump.
The company has also operated the SKT Sports Youth Support Program for three years, discovering and supporting promising middle and high school athletes in a range of amateur sports such as track and field, swimming, modern pentathlon, and sport climbing.
At this year’s National Sports Festival, athletes such as Park Hye-jeong (weightlifting), Su-Min Shin (modern pentathlon), Min-kyu Noh and Kim Junwoo (swimming), Joel Jin Nwamadi (track and field), Park San-hae (weightlifting), and Na Ju-young (squash) each earned two or more medals, demonstrating outstanding performances.
Park Hye-jeong, who also won three gold medals at the World Weightlifting Championships earlier in October, competed in the women's over-87kg division at this event. She lifted 123kg in snatch, 155kg in clean and jerk, and totaled 278kg, securing another triple crown. Su-Min Shin took two gold medals in the women’s modern pentathlon, winning both the team and relay events.
Joel Jin Nwamadi (Yecheon County Office) dominated the men’s 100m, 200m, and 400m relay, earning three gold medals in track and field. Swimmers Min-kyu Noh (Gyeonggi High School) and Kim Junwoo (Gwangseong High School) won five and four gold medals, respectively.
Park San-hae (Onyang High School) took two gold medals in the boys’ under-18 weightlifting, while Lee Da-yeon (Gyeongnam Sports High School) claimed one gold and two silver medals in the girls’ under-18 division. Lee Sae-bom (Gangwon Sports High School) also earned a bronze in javelin throw.
Additionally, Na Ju-young (squash), Jo Joo-hyun (fencing, foil), Park Yebin (cycling, sprint), Gwon Eunju (taekwondo), Namkoong Seoyeon (taekwondo), and Park Tae-san (boxing) each secured gold medals in their respective events.
The SKT Sports Youth Support Program was launched to discover promising middle and high school athletes and support their growth from the early stages. Each year, around 30 athletes are selected for the program.
Athletes who have benefited from the SKT Sports Youth Support Program, such as Su-Min Shin (modern pentathlon) and Kim Junwoo (swimming), have gone on to become national representatives. This year, Joel Jin Nwamadi (track and field) and Noh Hyun-seung (sport climbing) were also selected for the national team.
Heesop Kim, Head of PR at SK Telecom, stated, “SK Telecom will continue to serve as a stepping stone for talented young athletes to grow and succeed.”
mkchang@fnnews.com Jang Min-kwon Reporter