Friday 21 July 2023

Starting Line








 



  Teachers bury their lifelong ideals and ambitions under the dreams of students without hesitation. Some of them failed to see the success of students. Among them is Merited Athlete Paek Tong Nam who was the athletics teacher of the Mangyongdae District Extracurricular Juvenile Sports School in the capital city of Pyongyang.

He passed away before his students distinguished themselves in international games.

 He devoted himself to the training of reserve sportspeople for 33 years.

  Teacher Kim Sang Ho says:

  "Paek Tong Nam is one of the ordinary educators who can be found everywhere. But his life is by no means ordinary.

  He stood on the starting line all his life pushing many students to the finish line with pure conscience and sincerity of educator. Now his students are standing on the starting line."

Paek Tong Nam trained more than 70 athletes including thrice Asian marathon champion Kim Kum Ok during his teaching career.

When they fly the blue and red flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the sky over the world, our sportspeople do not forget their first teachers who stood them on the starting line of life with selfless devotion.

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