YU held '2nd National Amateur Archery Challenge for the Disabled'
On the 22nd at the YU Archery Center, 300 amateur archery club members and students from 16 cities and provinces gather to compete
[September 20, 2012]

 A day of unity between the disabled and non-disabled through the traditional martial art of archery will unfold at YU.

 YU (president Lee, Hyo-soo) will host the '2nd National Amateur Archery Challenge for the Disabled' at the YU Archery Center (Chunmajeong) at 9am on the 22nd.

 This year, about 300 amateur archery club members and students, both disabled and not disabled, from 16 cities and provinces will compete. Teams of interest are the Andong Youngmyung School, which won the team competition in the student section and the Incheon Namhojeong Team that won second place in the team competition of the adult section. Coach Bong, Pyeong-yeol, who is leading the Namhojeong Team that will compete in both the individual and the team competitions, said, "Korean traditional Archery was an actual force that was used to protect our nation against foreign invaders by our ancestors. I hope that more people will experience the joy of developing into a stronger person through Korean traditional archery."

 This competition is hosted by the Korea National Archery Association for the Disabled and the YU Department of Special Physical Education and is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Sports Association for the Disabled, and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. It will be divided into the mental/physical disabled division and non-disabled division, while being grouped in individual and team tournaments for student section and the adult section. It will be open for viewing by the public as well.

 Professor Park, Ki-yong (60) of the YU Department of Special Physical Education, who prepared for last year and this year's competition, said, "I hope that here at this place that was the training grounds for Hwarang, an elite military organization of the Silla Dynasty, will be an opportunity for education in character in order to create a happy society for all without discriminating between the disabled and non-disabled, while experiencing the excellence of our culture through the folk martial art of Korean traditional archery."

 Meanwhile, the YU Department of Special Physical Education was selected for the 'Sports Instructor for the Disabled Fostering Project' hosted by the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled for two consecutive years. It is cultivating about 50 sports instructors for the disabled every year.