Area Sports Round-Up – March 2025

A monthly overview of local sports, featuring area teams and brought to you…

By Zhang Jiuzhou (Julius)

Kia Tigers Gearing Up for Championship Repeat

On February 5, the KBO announced the preseason schedule for all 10 baseball teams. Aiming for their 13th championship, the Kia Tigers will test their spring training progress through matchups against Lotte, NC, Doosan, Samsung, and SSG.

Kia’s preseason kickoffs against Lotte are at Sajik Stadium on March 8 and 9, followed by games against NC in Changwon (March 10 and 11). They will then face Doosan in Jamsil (March 13 and 14) before concluding their preseason schedule with home games in Gwangju against Samsung (March 15 and 16) and SSG (March 17 and 18).

Key points to watch include the form of returning stars like Kim Do-young and the emergence of young prospects from spring training. If Kia’s young core and new additions perform well early on, expectations for a repeat championship will soar.

Following the departure of Socrates Brito, Kia signed power hitter Patrick Wisdom. With 88 career home runs, including three consecutive 20-homer seasons in MLB, Wisdom’s raw power has already impressed teammates. While foreign power hitters often struggle with KBO’s breaking pitches, Wisdom’s strong spring training performance has sparked optimism. If Kim Do-young and Wisdom can combine for 40 home runs, Kia’s road to Victory 13 looks promising.

Gwangju FC Advances to ACL Elite Round of 16, Faces Challenges

On February 11, Gwangju FC suffered a 1–3 away defeat to Shandong Taishan in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) East Asia Group Stage. However, they had already secured a place in the tournament’s Round of 16.

Despite advancing, head coach Lee Jung-hyo expressed disappointment, stating, “As head coach, I feel ashamed sitting on the bench. I will reflect on myself first and think seriously about how we should approach this year’s league together.” Gwangju faces a major challenge at midfield after Jeong Ho-yeon’s departure to the United States, leaving a crucial gap in both attack and defense. Addressing this issue remains the coach’s top priority.

In domestic news, Gwangju FC announced they will host their 2025 K League home matches at Gwangju World Cup Stadium instead of at Gwangju Football Stadium. The latter’s aging turf, further damaged by last summer’s extreme heat, made proper maintenance difficult, affecting both training and match conditions. Additionally, new K League facility regulations, requiring at least 10,000 paid seats and a 105-meter pitch, made the switch inevitable, as Gwangju Football Stadium’s capacity is only 8,000 seats and field length is only 97 meters.

Despite internal and external setbacks, a new season has begun. Gwangju FC hopes 2025 will be a year of shared dreams with their fans.

AI Peppers Continue Record-Breaking Season, Eye First Playoff Berth

The AI Peppers are on track for their best season yet, breaking franchise records for most wins and most points scored. Every additional victory will further cement the team’s historic progress.

Head Coach Chang So-yun recently shared her vision in an interview: “We’ve had many discussions as a team, and we’ve set clear goals. Even if we reach double-digit wins, our aim remains making the playoffs. I’ve told the players to stay committed to playing our brand of volleyball until the very end.”

With the team pushing toward a playoff berth for the first time since its founding, the AI Peppers are determined to finish the volleyball season on a high note.