BMW authorized dealer Deutsch Motors hosted and Samsung Little Thunders organized the "2nd Deutsch Motors Cup Samsung Little Thunders Basketball Tournament," which concluded successfully with 32 teams competing fiercely.
The "Deutsch Motors Cup Samsung Little Thunders Basketball Tournament" was established through the relationship between Deutsch Motors and the Seoul Samsung Thunders basketball team, and following the successful completion of the first tournament in Sept. 2024, this year marked the second edition. Deutsch Motors, which has maintained an official sponsorship relationship with the Seoul Samsung Thunders basketball team since 2019, holds the tournament to provide youth players with official game experience and to contribute to the expansion of Korea's basketball base and the development of the youth basketball industry.
The second edition of the tournament took place over two days on Sept. 6 and 7 at the Samsung Training Center (STC) in Bojeong-dong, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with a total of 32 teams—eight teams in each age group from U-9 to U-12—participating. This is an expanded scale compared with the first tournament, which had 24 teams.
About 1,000 youth players, parents and family members attended in person, adding to the excitement of the tournament. In addition, the event was streamed live on YouTube, with caster Park Chan-woong and commentator Son Dae-beom providing coverage so that the on-site excitement and the players' performances could be experienced online.
In the finals, U-9 Asan Samsung, U-10 Wirye Samsung, U-11 Guri Namyangju Samsung and U-12 Asan Samsung each won their respective championships, and the MVPs for each institutional sector were Moon Eun-chan (U-9), Cheon Su-ho (U-10), Kim Min-jae (U-11) and Lee Ji-an (U-12).
During the tournament, Seoul Samsung Thunders head coach Kim Hyo-beom and key players including Lee Dae-sung, Goo Tang, Nicholson, Lee Kwan-hee and Cho Joon-hee visited the venue. In particular, through events such as players' basketball clinics, one-on-one matchups, a lucky draw and a 3-point shootout, the tournament created unforgettable memories for participants who dream of becoming basketball players.
Outside the arena, various events for spectators were held. Deutsch Motors operated display and test-drive programs for the BMW i5, iX and i4 so that visitors could have a wider range of experiences. In particular, special promotional benefits on vehicle purchases were offered to tournament participants, attracting strong interest from spectators. Food trucks were also deployed to provide snacks and meals to participants and their families, enhancing the festival atmosphere.
Deutsch Motors director Lee Bo-ram said, "Following last year's first tournament, we made great efforts to prepare a safe and enjoyable event where children could experience basketball," and added, "I was deeply moved by the young players who participated for giving their best until the end and showing respect for one another, and I am convinced that the future of youth basketball in Korea is brighter because of these displays." He said Deutsch Motors hopes the youth basketball tournament it has prepared will develop into a place to learn teamwork and sportsmanship beyond mere competition, and that Deutsch Motors plans to develop the youth basketball tournament into a long-term social contribution activity to provide differentiated brand value to customers and contribute to the spread of Korean sports culture.
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