Gangnam-gu wrapped up the 4th Gangnam District Mayor's Cup Eoulim Sports Festival on Friday with its boccia competition, closing out a three-month series that brought together athletes with and without disabilities.
This year, 1,880 people took part — including athletes, organizers and volunteers — roughly 2.5 times the turnout at the inaugural event in 2024.
The Eoulim Sports Festival was established to broaden opportunities for people with and without disabilities to meet and connect through lifestyle sports.
Participation has grown consistently, rising from 735 in 2024 to 1,240 in 2025 and 1,880 this year. The number of events has also expanded — from five to seven and now nine — widening access to lifestyle sports for people with disabilities.
This year's festival opened with lawn bowls at Jamsil Lawn Bowls Stadium on May 19, then continued through park golf on May 22, golf on June 11, shullen on July 9, Wheelix on July 15, floor curling on July 21, table tennis on July 25, hankung on Aug. 13, and boccia on Friday. A total of 1,018 athletes and 862 organizers and volunteers took part.
Wheelix and floor curling were added to the lineup this year, bringing the total to nine events. The expanded roster was designed to give participants a wider range of options suited to different disability types and physical conditions, and to create more natural opportunities for people with and without disabilities to exercise together.
Gangnam-gu plans to keep the momentum going after the festival. On Sept. 17, the district will hold the Gangnam-gu Disability Sports Unity Meet at Gangnam Segok Sports Park, with about 500 participants expected, followed by a walking event for people with developmental disabilities later in the second half of the year.
Alongside these events, the district runs 25 lifestyle sports classes for people with disabilities across 11 sports year-round, including boccia, shullen and lawn bowls.
"The Eoulim Sports Festival is meaningful as a community space where people with and without disabilities exercise together and connect with their neighbors," Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-gi said. "We will spare no effort in providing diverse support so that everyone can enjoy lifestyle sports and live with vitality."
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