YKK will challenge for a sweep at home in Wonju.
The Korea Basketball Association held the KBA 3x3 Korea Tour 2025 Final Wonju tournament on a temporary court at Youth Square in Wonju, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, for two days starting on the 1st. The Korea Tour, as the final tournament of 2025, gained additional significance by being held in Wonju for the first time.
This year's Korea Tour traveled to Seoul, Inje, Gwacheon and Jecheon, contributing to the nationwide promotion and revitalization of 3x3 as usual. Having grown to attract significant interest among young basketball hopefuls, the Korea Tour is preparing for the end of 2025 this coming weekend.
The Korea Tour final is a champions' tournament in which the top teams from the regional Korea Tour events held in 2025 all compete. The final featured six divisions—elementary, middle school, high school, men's OPEN, women's OPEN and Korea League men—with a total of 48 teams competing.
The Wonju team YKK stood out in the high school division. YKK easily beat powerhouse LPS 21-11 in their first game. YKK also defeated FBP 20-13 in their second game to sit atop Group B with two wins. Having advanced to the main knockout tournament, YKK aims for the title on their home court.
After the game, Lee Ye-chan (Wonju Daeseong High School 2, 179cm, forward) said, "I did not play well today. The older players took charge of the game. I lost stamina while moving, which I regret. My teammates all have experience, so they eased things for me," attributing the victory to his teammates.
Because this is the first Korea Tour held in his hometown of Wonju, he is desperate to win. Lee Ye-chan said, "I played in the Inje Korea Tour previously and finished third, which was disappointing. My goal for this tournament is to win no matter what. Since it's Wonju, I want to win even more," showing his determination.
YKK's skills rapidly improved under the guidance of former Shinhan Bank coach Kuunadan. Lee Ye-chan said, "We won today, but as players we tended to play one-on-one rather than team movements, which disappointed the coaches. We are taller on average than other teams, so we will focus on rebounds. The whole team can shoot. We will use rebounds to create scoring opportunities, shoot 3-pointers, drive, and draw a lot of fouls," he vowed.
Lee Ye-chan, who was an elite player through middle school, is gaining early social experience through basketball. He said, "I want to pursue sports engineering or sports rehabilitation as a career. Team activities build leadership and social skills. I get a lot of strength from communication. I have always felt lacking, but I am always grateful that the YKK director and coaches treat me kindly," as he thanked those close to him.
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