Suwon KT Sonic Boom Becomes a Suwon Team

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] The Suwon KT Sonic Boom has become a Suwon team.

Suwon City and the Suwon KT Sonic Boom signed a hometown agreement on the 30th at the conference room of Suwon City Hall, attended by Mayor Yeom Tae-young, Suwon City Council Chairman Cho Seok-hwan, KT Sports CEO Nam Sang-bong, Suwon KT Sonic Boom Team Director Choi Hyun-jun, and players Kim Young-hwan and Huh Hoon. The agreement period is five years, and can be extended by consultation between Suwon City and KT Sonic Boom.

Under the agreement, the city and KT Sonic Boom will change the name of the home court, Seosuwon Chilbo Sports Complex, to 'Suwon KT Sonic Boom Arena (Seosuwon Chilbo Sports Complex)' and add 'Suwon' to the team name.

KT Sonic Boom will actively participate in hometown events and pursue various community contribution projects for local basketball development to promote 'Suwon basketball revitalization.'

The city will reduce facility usage fees and actively support KT Sonic Boom's settlement in Suwon by promoting home games together with KT Sonic Boom.

CEO Nam Sang-bong said, "Along with KT Wiz, KT Sonic Boom is poised to become another pride of Suwon City and KT," and added, "KT Sports will do its best to operate and manage the team so that the stadium is always filled with fans."

Mayor Yeom Tae-young said, "As KT Sonic Boom relocated its hometown to us, Suwon has become the first basic local government to have four major professional sports teams," and welcomed them saying, "We sincerely welcome KT Sonic Boom to Suwon City." He continued, "I will work hard to help KT Sonic Boom become established with the love of citizens," he promised.

He added, "I hope Suwon citizens become supporters of KT Sonic Boom and have more opportunities to be together with KT Sonic Boom outside the stadium," and said, "Through collaboration between a professional team and its hometown local government, I hope to create a 'best practice model for regional professional sports' where both the team develops and vitality is injected into the region."

KT Sonic Boom will play its first home game of the KBL 2021-22 regular season on the 10th of next month at 2 p.m. at Suwon KT Sonic Boom Arena (Seosuwon Chilbo Sports Complex). The team will play 27 of the 54 regular season games at Suwon KT Sonic Boom Arena (Seosuwon Chilbo Sports Complex).

With KT Sonic Boom confirming Suwon as its hometown, Suwon City has become the first basic local government to have four major professional sports teams (baseball, soccer, volleyball, and basketball). The KBL (Korean Basketball League) approved KT Sonic Boom's hometown change in June.

There are six professional sports teams based in Suwon: KT Sonic Boom, KT Wiz (baseball), Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Suwon FC (soccer), Korea Electric Power Big Storm (men's volleyball) and Hyundai Engineering & Construction Hillstate (women's volleyball).

KT Sonic Boom was founded in January 2004. The team roster consists of 26 people including 17 players and 9 staff members. The training facility is KT Oleh Victorium (90 Jungja-ro, Jangan-gu).