sports

This year, the Pyongyang Sports Club has achieved excellent results.

Especially, it bagged five cups and 39 gold medals at the National Championships, one of the biggest games in the DPRK.

“This is beyond the record of four years ago which exceeded our peak-year record in winning gold medals,” said Pak Je Won, head of the sports club.

The club set a new record in volleyball.

Its female volleyball team, which had failed to win the last match and thus taken on average only the second place for dozens of years, won the first place to cleanse itself of dishonour as “second-place team”.

What further delighted Pyongyang citizens is the fact that its male volleyball team won a victory after the female team’s, thereby setting the record that both teams won the championships together for the first time after it was established decades ago.

“After the men’s volleyball games were over, rooters for the Pyongyang team, including me, were reluctant to leave their seats for a good while. All of them, with excitement, shared joy of victory with the players,” said Kang Tae Gwan, a resident of Mangyongdae District, Pyongyang.

Its male table tennis players also achieved success.

Kim Song Il, one of the players, won the men’s singles at the championships attended by all the ping-pong aces from across the country.

“I’ve never thought any player of the Pyongyang team would take the first place because his opponents were competent. But Kim Song Il shattered our presumption,” said Ri Jong Chol, a resident of Tongdaewon District, Pyongyang.

The Pyongyang team won the men’s table tennis team event as well.

The victories of the Pyongyang Sports Club were reported in succession throughout the National Championships.

In the event of judo, the club won both men’s and women’s six weight categories. Kim Jin A, who had been a national champion in the women’s 57kg category, raised her body weight to take part in over 78kg-category matches and set a new record by winning the first place.

The club demonstrated its strong ability again in gymnastic events like artistic gymnastics and trampoline and its rhythmic gymnasts ranked first in the team total with a higher score than the one in April to fully display their ability that had improved a level higher.

In the weightlifting event, Jo Son Il got two gold medals at the over 109kg category and jerked weights 1kg heavier than the record he had set in April to set a new national record.

“The Pyongyang Sports Club has produced winners and medallists in almost all events and fielded its young aces to convince viewers of its bright prospects,” said Pak Mi Song, a resident of Moranbong District, Pyongyang.