CHUNCHEON, South Korea – About 15,000 spectators filled the Songam Leports Town main stadium on Oct. 29 for the opening match of the 5th Ari Sports Cup international U-15 soccer championship, cheering for both South and North Korean teams without taking sides. Placards reading “We are one” and students waving a Korean Peninsula flag added to the atmosphere of unity.
North Korea’s April 25 Sports Club youth team defeated a Gangwon Province all-star team 3-1. North Korean player Ri Il-song, who scored two goals, said the victory would make his parents, friends, and teachers back home happy. Earlier, the April 25 girls’ team beat a Hana Bank Middle School Federation all-star team 2-0 in an unscheduled goodwill match.
After the match, players from both teams walked around the track together, thanking the crowd. Gangwon Gov. Choi Moon-soon, North Korean captain Mun Ung, and players from both sides shouted “we are one” before a commemorative photo. Choi said, “Friendship is more important than victory,” and added that sports exchange is bringing the two Koreas closer.
The tournament, which runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 22, returned to South Korea for the first time since its inaugural edition in 2014, having been held in Pyongyang and Kunming in between. Kim Gyeong-seong, chairman of the South and North Korean Sports Exchange Association, said eight teams from six countries are participating, and plans are underway to invite Real Madrid and other famous youth teams for next year’s event in Wonsan, North Korea.
Source: hani.co.kr
