Badminton player Kim Won-ho (27, Samsung Life) has been named the recipient of Korea's most prestigious sports honor, the Grand Prize of Sports.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that it has selected winners for the 72nd KSOC Sports Awards, honoring athletes and sports figures who made significant contributions to the development and promotion of sports in Korea in 2025.
Following deliberation by the Sports Fairness Committee and approval at the 12th board meeting on January 2, the committee selected 93 individuals and five organizations as award recipients across eight categories: athletics, coaching, officiating, recreational sports, school sports, distinguished service, research, and sports values.
Kim Won-ho earned the Grand Prize of Sports after winning the men's doubles title at the 2025 BWF World Championships in Paris and achieving an unprecedented 11 titles in a single World Tour season. The recipient will receive a plaque and a special prize.
Top Excellence Award winners in each category include cyclist Choi Tae-ho (Gangwon Province Cycling Federation) and shooter Ban Hyo-jin (Daegu Sports High School) in the athletics category; weightlifting coach Lee Se-won (Goyang City Hall) and judo coach Jeong Seong-suk (Yongin University) in the coaching category; judo official Kim Eun-hee (Korea Judo Association) in the officiating category; and roller sports athlete Cha Du-yeon (Busan Metropolitan Roller Sports Federation) in the recreational sports category. Excellence Awards and Encouragement Awards will also be presented to recipients in each category, comprising 21 individuals and three organizations for Excellence Awards, and 60 individuals and two organizations for Encouragement Awards.
Since establishing the KSOC Sports Awards in 1955, the committee has annually recognized individuals who have demonstrated outstanding athletic performance or contributed to the development of Korean sports through creative and dedicated efforts.
The 72nd KSOC Sports Awards ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. on March 13 at Champion House in the Taereung National Training Center.