SBS 'News Story' Highlights the Reality and Challenges of 2026 Asian Games National Athletes

SBS 'News Story' will be broadcast on Saturday the 5th at 8:00 AM. In this broadcast, the program will examine the current status of national athletes in emerging and unpopular sports preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and identify the tasks required for their challenges to continue even after the games.

New Sports Expanding the Boundaries of Sports

'Virtual Taekwondo,' which incorporates virtual reality technology, has been adopted as an official sport for the first time in this Asian Games. Using VR headsets and sensors, athletes compete as avatars, allowing for matches that transcend gender and weight classes without physical contact. Additionally, through the case of Kang Dong-sin, a national athlete for the e-sports event 'Puyo Puyo Champions,' the program highlights the changing times as gaming establishes itself as a sport.

The Reality of 'Self-Reliance' Hidden Behind the National Flag

Behind the name of 'national athlete' lies the hardship of athletes who must endure poor training environments and balance their training with their livelihoods. Kabaddi national athlete Kim Gun-myeong maintains his livelihood by balancing his work as a sanitation worker with training, and Techball national athletes are also in a situation where they rent Jokgu courts to train due to the lack of dedicated training facilities. On the other hand, there are cases where environments are created so that athletes can focus on sports, such as the founding of the Breaking professional team by Dobong-gu Office. Experts emphasize that it is urgent to establish a minimum support system that does not rely solely on the sacrifices of the athletes.

Source: SBS Press Release

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