Moments Remembered for Emotion, Not Records

Looking back at the 2025 sports year, the scenes etched in our hearts stand out more vividly than numerical records. Moments like An Se-young's marathon rally and Yoshinobu Yamamoto's bullpen appearance shone with pure passion and fighting spirit, transcending victory and defeat.

Last March at the All England Open women's singles final in Birmingham, UK, the rally between An Se-young and Wang Zhiyi (China) was history in itself. One point earned by An after a grueling 79-rally exchange lasting 1 minute and 29 seconds. When the rally ended, Wang collapsed on the court and An also leaned against the advertising board for a while, catching her breath. Though only a '1' went up on the scoreboard, applause poured out for both players who gave their all.

The Major League World Series cannot be overlooked either. In Game 3 of the series between the LA Dodgers and Toronto, which went into extra innings to the 18th, Yoshinobu Yamamoto's bullpen appearance became a scene for baseball history. A pitcher who had thrown 105 pitches for a complete-game victory the previous day returned to the mound after just one day of rest. That choice, driven more by responsibility and fighting spirit than calculation, was romance itself beyond mere competition.

The Real Message Sports Delivers

Spectators in ancient Roman amphitheaters were thrilled by gladiators' bloody fights where life and death hung in the balance. It was an era when only victory or defeat, survival or death existed. But modern sports are different. We expect something beyond simple victory for 'our side' or flashy performances.

The determination to take off golf shoes and socks, enter a hazard when a tee shot lands near a pond, and ultimately retrieve the ball. The sight of a pitcher who recorded the most wins by an Asian player in Major League Baseball (124 wins) returning to his hometown to quietly throw batting practice for unknown elementary school baseball team juniors. Scenes of rivals who dominated an era attending each other's retirement ceremonies, respecting 20 years of competition. And the narrative of the 'god of soccer' lifting the World Cup trophy after five attempts.

The reason sports move our hearts is precisely because of these messages. Not the results of competition, but the human aspects shown in the process, respect for opponents, and the attitude of never giving up create inspiration.

2026, A Year Filled with Sports Events

The new year promises to be filled with a richer sports schedule than ever before. From Italy's snowy slopes to Senegal's blazing sun, sporting fervor will continue throughout all 365 days.

In February, the 2026 Winter Olympics will open. In March, the World Baseball Classic (WBC), called the 'baseball Olympics,' will be held. In June's summer, the world's greatest soccer festival, the North and Central America World Cup, will unite the entire world. In September, the Asian Games will take place in Japan, and in November, the Dakar Youth Olympics, Africa's first Olympics, will be held in Senegal. Adding domestic professional sports to this, it will be a year of non-stop sports action.

The Recipe for Creating Romance

Amidst so many tournaments and countless matches, what romantic scenes will captivate us? The recipe is surprisingly simple.

First, the basic ingredient of 'competition' given with utmost effort is needed. To this, add the story of an athlete built layer by layer over time. Respect and consideration for the opponent's excellent skills and tears, and stories completed while empathizing with fans are also essential elements. Surprisingly, imperfect shortcomings can add unexpected depth.

Finally, when sportsmanship competing fairly and squarely within fair rules is added, a dish that lasts longer than numbers on a record sheet is complete.

The scene of the century's rivals - Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic - gathered at Rafael Nadal's retirement ceremony at Roland Garros in Paris last May was precisely a moment created with this recipe. Though they were fierce rivals on the court, at the retirement ceremony they sincerely celebrated and showed respect for each other's careers.

Values Beyond Competition

We hope such romantic moments will unfold before us in 2026 as well. We hope scenes will be created that are remembered longer for the spirit in which players approached the game, rather than who won or lost.

Sports are indeed romance. Beyond victories and defeats recorded in numbers, we discover the true value of sports in the sight of challenging human limits, respecting each other, and doing one's best. We hope the countless matches to unfold in the new year will be filled with moments of inspiration that remain in our hearts long beyond simple competition.