The Korea Archery Association held the 2026 National School Sports Club Elementary Archery Tournament at the Seongam Culture and Sports Center of Namseoul University in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on the 4th, the association announced on the 8th.
The tournament was held as part of the strategic sports development program sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and financially supported by the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, contributing to revitalizing school sports and expanding the base of archery.
A total of 297 student athletes in 99 teams from 20 elementary schools nationwide participated, with 338 people attending in total, including teachers and observing students. Students who encountered archery through school sports club activities took part after school-level selection processes, competing with the skills they had honed.
The tournament was held as a 7-meter hit-and-miss three-member mixed team event, operated in a format where cumulative preliminary scores determined a 32-team knockout tournament. Notably, from the semifinals through the final, electronic scoreboards and a YouTube live broadcast were operated, providing participating students with a competition experience at the level of an actual national tournament and drawing an enthusiastic response. After a fierce knockout competition, Sohwa Elementary School won the championship, with Saemmoru Elementary School finishing runner-up, Dunjeon Elementary School taking third place, and Cheoncheon Elementary School placing fourth.
A variety of experience programs that all participating students could enjoy were also operated alongside the competition. Programs included a teacher-student companion event match, hands-on recurve bow experiences led by Olympic medalists including Yun Mi-jin and Yun Hye-young, ESG keyring making, relay missions, a stamp rally, and a four-cut photo booth, enhancing the joy of sports participation and teamwork. All participating students received commemorative gifts, raising satisfaction.
The Korea Archery Association conducts archery classes at school sites for some 4,000 students at 44 schools annually to promote archery among general students. Through this tournament, the association confirmed the achievements of school sports club archery activities operated in schools and laid a foundation for students to naturally encounter archery and participate continuously. In addition, by revitalizing school sports and recreational sports at the stage before elite athlete discovery, it played a meaningful role in building a sustainable athlete development system for Korean archery.
"School sports clubs are an important educational venue where students grow while enjoying sports," a Korea Archery Association official said. "Going forward, we will continue our efforts to expand archery participation opportunities in schools through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's strategic sports development program, and to nurture future archery talent and foster a healthy school sports culture."
