Shendong Elementary School from Taiwan won the Boeun T-Ball Competition International Exchange League.
On the 31st of last month, Xiandong Elementary School defeated Sinlong Elementary School in Taiwan 7-6 in the international exchange league final of the ‘2023 KBO Youth Teeball Festival Elementary Sports Club Teeball Competition’ held at the KBO Baseball Center in Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do.
Shen Dongchao, who participated in this tournament as the winning team of the Taiwan National Tee-Ball Competition, showed off the most outstanding skills in the international exchange event held in Korea. Director Quan Guan-hao, who led Xiandong Elementary School, said, “This is the first time I have come to Korea. Korean players are bright and open. Our players focus on getting hits, but Korean players seem to be aiming for home runs. I think I had a good game with fun,” he said, expressing his feelings about coming to Korea.
Director Quan Kwan-hao said, “Our school is a little rural, even in Taiwan. It was good to be able to play with players from other countries, and especially having a good time at the welcome event will remain as a good memory for the children. I wanted to let people know that the world is so vast and beautiful.”
Xinlongchoo, the runner-up in Taiwan, was not invited to this tournament, but participated at her own expense to compete against Shendongcho once again. Coach Hong Guanxian of Xinlongcho said, “First of all, it was a friendly match, so it was more important for the students to experience various environments and have fun than to win. The game was unfortunate, but the players will not be greatly disappointed.”
Coach Quan Guan-hao also said, “At first, I tried to play with a comfortable mind, but it seems that the players became greedy after playing. I told the players not to be too nervous and play safely and happily. Thanks to that, I had a good game,” he laughed. 꽁머니
In this competition, the International Exchange League became an opportunity for children from Korea, Taiwan, and Japan to exchange and share friendships. Children from the three countries had a great time playing games together and holding welcome events.
Coach Hong Guanxian, who met both the Japanese and Korean teams, said, “Japan is a great team with well-established fundamentals. In Korea, it was felt that the players were playing T-ball while enjoying the game. I am grateful that Korean children are so kind and polite, and show an open side without ignoring foreign players.”
Akashi Gaku, a teacher who leads the Aichi prefectural team in Japan, also said, “It is not often that our children have the opportunity to meet foreign friends. I think it was a good experience to know what foreign children think and what they like by having a welcome party and playing T-ball together. I am sure that the students will go home with good memories from the beginning to the end.”
Kim Myeong-gun, a teacher at Deoksin Elementary School, who won the Champions League in Korea, said, “We are now going to Taiwan in December as a winning team, and it will be an unforgettable elementary school memory for the children. To be honest, I wanted to play a practice match against the Taiwanese team today, but things didn’t go well. Still, our students chatted with Taiwanese students and took pictures together, and I think it will be a good memory.”