The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has empowered the Korean Little Baseball Team.
KBO said on the 30th, “We held an event at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 29th to invite the Little Baseball Major (U-12) national team squad.”
The event was organized to celebrate the first advancement to the World Little League World Series in seven years by the Korean Little Baseball National Team, pray for good performance at next month’s tournament, and boost the team’s morale.
사진 확대 Photo = Courtesy of KBO
The national team, which advanced to the 2026 World Little League World Series for the first time in seven years, will compete with 10 regional representatives and 10 U.S. teams at Williams Port, Pennsylvania, USA, for 12 days from August 19 to 30.
To commemorate this, a total of 30 people were invited to the event, including 12 national team players, 12 player guardians, three coaching staff, and two officials from the Korea Little Baseball Federation. KBO supported the guests with meals along with watching the game, and also held a ceremony to deliver encouragement money, as well as first pitch and hitting events.
At the incentive delivery ceremony prior to the game, KBO and SSG Landers delivered bouquets of flowers along with baseball supplies worth a total of 10 million won, 5 million won each. As a representative of the team, a bouquet of flowers was delivered to manager Kim Hong-jip of the Little Baseball Team, and encouragement money was delivered to captain Hong Ji-hwan.
At the first pitch-sitting event, Hong Ji-hwan, the captain of the Little Baseball National Team, who played an outstanding role side by side in the major finals of the Asia-Pacific & Middle East tournament on the 3rd, threw the first pitch, and Maeng Jae-hyun took the hit.
After the start of the game, KBO President Koo Hu-yeon watched the game with the national team squad and encouraged the players. In addition, President Koo Hu-yeon and an official from the Korea Little Baseball Federation held a meeting with parents, discussing the direction of the development of Little Baseball, and offering words of encouragement to parents.
사진 확대 Photo = Courtesy of KBO
[Lee Hanjoo, MK Sports Reporter]