Many sports games took place at home in 2024, too.

Nearly 40 records broken

Nearly 40 new records of the DPRK were established at the 2024 Spring National Sports Festival, the DPRK Championships, the 2024 National Winter Sports Games and the 2024 Indoor Athletics Championships.

Ten new national records were broken in weightlifting, shooting and track and field events at the 2024 Spring National Sports Festival.

New national records were set in the jerk and total of the men’s 67kg category weightlifting and the snatch and total of the 89kg category events. And in shooting, national records were renewed in the senior-level women’s 10m air rifle, 10m air rifle mixed team and youth-level 25m speed pistol mixed team events.

National records were bettered in the men’s 100m and 200m races.

At the DPRK Championships, sportspeople set 25 new national records in four events, contributing to the technical development of the events.

Eight new records were established in weightlifting.

New national records were also set in the jerk of the 96kg category, the snatch, jerk and total of the 109kg category and the snatch of over 109kg category of men’s weightlifting.

Seven records were renewed in shooting in the national championships. Kim Su Hyang of the Amnokgang Defence Sports Club established a new national record and national youth record in the women’s 10m moving target mixed game.

New national records were set respectively in the men’s 10m air rifle and men’s 50m rifle prone team events.

Players of the Defence Sports Club of the Ministry of National Defence and the Samilpho Defence Sports Club reset national records respectively in the mixed team event of skeet shooting.

Players of the Defence Sports Club of the Ministry of National Defence established a new national record in the 10m air pistol team event, while those of the Amnokgang Defence Sports Club and the Defence Sports Club of the Ministry of National Defence in the 10m air rifle mixed team event respectively.

Four national records were broken in the track and field competition.

Players of the Amnokgang Sports Club reset national records in the men’s 10 000m and 5 000m races and those of the Amnokgang and Kigwancha sports clubs in the 4x400m relay respectively.

Players of the Sobaeksu Sports Team broke a national record in the 4x400m mixed freestyle relay swimming event.

Players of the Taesongsan Sports Club renewed national records in the speed skating and short-track speed skating events at the 2024 National Winter Sports Games. National records were also reset in two events at the 2024 Indoor Athletics Championships.

Growing enthusiasm for mass sports

With public interest in sports growing day after day, mass sports games were played briskly in the DPRK last year, too.

Officials of national agencies added vigour to the vibrant atmosphere of society while fully displaying techniques they cultivated in their training at the Civil Servants’ Games-2024 and the bowling contest of civil servants. The Agricultural Workers’ Games-2024 and the 12th National Sports Contest of Agricultural Workers added pleasure and optimism to the life of agricultural workers getting happier along with the implementation of the programme for the rural revolution in the new era.

Health workers who took part in the 11th Games of Public Health Sector showed high sports techniques and noble sportsmanship at every contest.

Workers fully displayed the sense of organization and unity of the collective at the Games of Workers in Major Industries-2024 held to mark May Day, the international holiday of working people all over the world.

The enthusiasm for mass sports also grew in the education sector.

The volleyball and badminton contests of the national competition of university teachers and students-2024 were attended by dozens of units including Kim Il Sung University, Kim Chaek University of Technology, Kim Hyong Jik University of Education and Phyongsong University of Education. The national paduk contest of the education sector-2024 took place, divided into team and individual events (kindergarten and primary school categories). At least 200 kindergarten and primary school children selected from across the country participated in the contest.

Over 700 players took part in the basketball, volleyball, tennis and field and track events in the 2024 national university students games.

The 54th sports contest of artistes was held in a distinctive way.

Divided into the sectors of cinematic art and stage art, artistes played basketball, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, tug of war, Taekwon-Do, ssirum and other sports and amusement games. The contest was fierce, and its atmosphere was revved up by the march-past of participating units and the distinctive rhythmic rooting of artistes that was conducted to the tune of upbeat and lilting music.

The National Inter-provincial Mass Sports Contest-2024 marking the 75th Anniversary of Sports Day was the largest one of mass sports games held last year. The contest brought together players selected from Pyongyang Municipality and the provinces (cities under the direct jurisdiction of the government) and involved such events as basketball (women), volleyball (men), badminton, Taekwon-Do, tug of war and arm wrestling. Pyongyang Municipality won the total rankings and South Phyongan and South Hamgyong provinces came second and third in the contest.

Various games of amateurs also took place last year.

The Spring Bowling Amateur Games took place as bowling got popular day by day. The 2024 National Open Tennis Games were held by bringing together more than 250 tennis experts and fans and the 2024 National Open Table Tennis Games were attended by more than 200 table tennis experts and fans.

The autumn sports games of elderly persons and amateurs-2024 and the 2024 Games of Disabled Persons and Amateurs were held on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons. They showed the joy and youthful vigour of the elderly and the optimistic appearance of disabled persons enjoying a worthwhile life thanks to the policy of the Workers’ Party of Korea and the state on protecting persons with disabilities.

Various national sports games were also held.

The National Taekwon-Do Amateur Games-2024 took place with more than 700 players selected from across the country in attendance amid the hot wind of developing orthodox martial art associated with the resourcefulness and spirit of the nation sweeping all across society. And the 19th Grand Bull Prize National Ssirum Contest took place in September.

As people were so enthusiastic about sports, more than 500 units across the country won the title of model sports units (including twice ones) last year.