The Korean Amateur Sport Association of Colorado (President Lee Han-won, Chairman of the Organizing Committee Eom Chan-yong, Team Leader Kim Joon-hong) successfully concluded the send-off ceremony and Sponsorship Night for the 22nd Korean-American Sports Festival, the largest celebration of Korean-American athletes in the United States, to be held in New York from June 23rd to 25th, 2023.
On May 21st, at Aurora 2nd Home starting at 4 PM, the send-off ceremony and Sponsorship Night, attended by over 170 Korean community members, infused energy into the promotion of the Korean Amateur Sport Association of Colorado(KASAC). The event began with President Lee Han-won’s cheerleading message, followed by Chairman Eom Chan-yong’s remarks on tournament preparations and congratulatory speeches from former President of the Colorado Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, Chairman Guksung-gu. The event continued with the determination of the team leader, Director Kim Joon-hong, for the team’s success.
Furthermore, during the event, K-pop dance performances by the K-pop dance team from the Colorado Korean Unified School, featuring Seventeen’s “Fighting,” Ditto by New Jeans, and Love Dive by IVE, heightened the excitement of the event. Following the K-pop dance team’s performance, President Lee Han-won personally arranged a Taekwondo demonstration team to showcase their breaking techniques and forms, delighting the sponsors and athletes with a congratulatory performance.
The representative delegation of the KASAC, who has been waiting for four years due to the postponement caused by COVID-19 after the 2019 Seattle Korean-American Sports Festival, has confirmed the participation of over 70 athletes in sports such as swimming, bowling, marathon, shooting, tennis, wrestling, Taekwondo, and golf. The KASAC made a notable achievement in their first participation after undergoing transformation before the 2019 Seattle Festival, securing the 14th place out of 26 teams. As a result, in the 22nd festival, the KASAC aims to achieve even better results with an increased contribution from the delegation and an expanded participation of 32 teams compared to the previous event.
Lastly, the KASAC expressed deep gratitude to the many Korean community members and business sponsors who supported the participation and delegation of the upcoming festival, announcing the collection of sponsorship funds exceeding $40,000. This will relieve the financial burden and allow for a more focused dedication to the forthcoming competition.
<By Intern Reporter Jiho Kim>
