‘Wrestling monster’ Kim Min-jae (Yeongam-gun Folk Wrestling Team) returned to the top of the Baekdu class after nearly three months.
Kim defeated Seo Nam-geun (Suwon Special City Hall) 3-0 in the Baekdu Jangsa (140 kg and under) deciding match (best of five) at the third edition of the 2023 Folk Wrestling League at the Boeunjangsa Wrestling Tournament held at the Boeun National Sports Center in Chungcheongbuk-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, on the 23rd. The first round was a spirited affair, but Kim’s badge was stronger. In the second period, which was tied at one minute of regulation time, Kim won with a field badge like Jeon Kwang-seok-hwa in a 30-second extension, and the third period ended with a field badge followed by a left takedown.
Kim’s victory over Seo extended his winning streak to three, including the final at the Cheonha Jangsa last November and the third- and fourth-place matches at the PyeongChang Games in April. With this win, Kim claimed his fifth career Jangsa title (4 Baekdu + 1 Cheonha).
His quarterfinal match against Jang Jang-woo (MG Saemaul Bank) was the de facto final. Earlier, in the quarterfinals of Pyeongchang, Kim suffered his first loss in folk wrestling since his debut, ending a four-tournament winning streak that began last year when he was a sophomore at Ulsan University and ended in Mungyeong in late February. Meeting Jang Jang-woo again for the first time in more than a month, Kim lost the first game to a takedown, but bounced back to win the next two games by submission and pushing.
In the quarterfinals, Kim defeated his high school opponent, Choi Sung-min (Taean Ancheong), 2-1. Kim Min-jae, who lost to Choi Sung-min in high school, has now won two consecutive matches in folk wrestling.
“My winning streak was broken in PyeongChang, so it feels good to have the opportunity to get back on a winning streak,” Kim said after his victory, adding, “I will try to win five in a row again.”메이저놀이터
In the final of the team event, Yeongam County Folk Wrestling Team won 4-3 over Ulju County Office. After winning the Mungyeong tournament in late February, Yeongam County Folk Wrestling Team lost the title to Suwon Special City Hall in Pyeongchang in April, but returned to the top after two tournaments. The team has a 9-5 record against Ulju County Government. In the team event, seven wrestlers per weight class had to win four bouts. With the score tied at 3-3, Cha Min-soo defeated Song Sung-beom 2-0 in the seventh Halla class match to seal the deal.