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Jeonbuk State, in collaboration with the Jeonbuk State Office of Education and Jeonbuk Physicl Education Middle & High School, is continuing international exchange and friendship through sports by delivering sports equipment donated by students to youth in three African nations. On the 5th, the State and the Office of Education held a send-off ceremony at Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School for the project titled “Re; Play Together, Jeonbuk Sports Friendship Gifts,” shipping the items to Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Namibia. The theme, ‘Re; Play Together,’ signifies resuming games (Re; Play) that had been halted due to a shortage of soccer balls and sports gear, this time together with Jeonbuk.

This initiative goes beyond mere material support; it aims to practice solidarity and friendship across borders through sports and to expand the foundation for exchange among future generations. In particular, sharing equipment that students actually used spreads the value of sharing while extending Jeonbuk’s international sports diplomacy into schools and the local community. The project originated from visits last year by officials from Zimbabwe and Namibia, with whom Jeonbuk has maintained international sports exchanges. During their visit to Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School, they requested support for sports equipment. Students readily agreed to contribute, leading to a broader international exchange program supported by the State, the Office of Education, and the school. The donated items total 616 pieces across 12 sports, including soccer, taekwondo, shooting, archery, swimming, etc. —comprising both gear previously used by students and new items collected for this project. The equipment will be delivered to the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and National Olympic Committees of each country via Zimbabwean diplomatic missions and international shipping. It will then be distributed to young athletes and youth active in organizations such as the Kirsty Coventry Academy in Zimbabwe, the Waitaka Taekwondo Club in Kenya, and the MTC Hopsol Youth Soccer League in Namibia.

Kim Jong-phil, Director General of Jeonbuk State’s 2036 Summer Olympics Bid Department, stated: “I hope the precious sports items that nurtured the dreams of our Jeonbuk students will serve as a new source of hope for African youth. Moving forward, we will continue to promote international exchange through sports, guided by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) core values of inclusion and solidarity.” Im Young-gun, Director of Arts, Physical Ed & Health Division at the Jeonbuk State Office of Education, said, “It was a meaningful opportunity for our students to put into practice the spirit of sportsmanship through sharing and caring while developing a global perspective. We hope that the students’ small but heartfelt gesture will be warmly received by young people in Africa.”

Meanwhile, Jeonbuk State has been steadily expanding its international sports network by dispatching a Taekwondo demonstration team to the World Taekwondo U-21 Championship in Kenya, participating in the World Union of Olympic Cities General Assembly, and broadening sports exchanges with African nations. Starting with the “Sports Friendship Gift” pilot project, Jeonbuk State plans to consider expanding the countries and sports covered by the initiative, while also promoting the hosting of international sporting events and exchange programs inviting young athletes from overseas, with the goal of developing Jeonbuk into a specialized international sports city.

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Official mascots unveiled for AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™

AIPS ASIA News

A familiar quintet of charming and adorable jerboas were announced as the official mascots of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ today at a special launch ceremony.

The family of five desert rodents are no strangers to the AFC Asian Cup™, as they had made their debut when Qatar last hosted the flagship competition in 2011. Now, Saboog, Tmbki, Freha, Zkriti and Traeneh are back to take the spotlight in the 18th edition of the showpiece.

The cute mascots were unveiled to the public at the Barahat Msheireb, an open square in downtown Doha, with 42 days to go until the opening kick-off on 12 January, 2024 at the Lusail Stadium between hosts Qatar and Lebanon.

The cast is led by Saboog, the blue-coloured son of the family whose name is derived from the commonly used term in Qatar to refer to the jerboa, or desert rodents. He is followed by the pink-coloured Freha, the eldest daughter of the family who is named after the Freha area in the north of Qatar. Third is Tmbki, the yellow-coloured younger son named after the Timbic region in Qatar’s east. The parents are Zkriti and Traeneh, the green-coloured father and purple-coloured mother respectively; the pair are named after Zikrit in Qatar’s west and Tranaa, to Qatar’s north.

The official mascots are the brainchild of Qatari artist Ahmed Al Maadheed, who wanted to attribute different characteristics to each mascot, akin to the different roles that players take on during a football match. At the same time, he wanted to create a set of characters that resemble a traditional household in Qatar that also pays tribute to all four corners of the country.

“From the very beginning, we wanted to do something that inspired families and young people to be a part of the Asian Cup,” Al Maadheed said. “We wanted to do dig deep into our rich ecological heritage and find an animal that could represent the best of what happens on the pitch and also in our daily lives, and that was the jerboa.

“We decided to present a family of jerboas, each with its own distinctive personality, as a way of acknowledging the importance of teamwork in football, but also acknowledging the importance of family life to societies in Qatar.”

The characters have been brought to life for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ through an anime-inspired animation produced by Katara Studios. From now until the conclusion of the tournament on 10 February, 2024, audiences will be treated to an animated work that invokes the nostalgia of iconic cartoons of the past. The animation was directed by Fahad Al Kuwari, with the song performed by Qatari artist Dana Al Meer and the legendary Tarek Al Arabi Tourgane.

Hassan Al Kuwari, Marketing and Communications Executive Director of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Local Organising Committee (LOC), added: “The mascots of the 2023 Asian Cup invoke wonderful memories from 2011, but also embody the excitement and energy of what will certainly be an amazing competition. The five characters are inspired by Qatar’s natural environment and present us with yet another wonderful opportunity to showcase our culture and heritage to football fans from around the world.”

The official mascot launch follows the reveal of the official slogan, Hayya Asia, in October as the countdown continues towards the grandest ever AFC Asian Cup™, with tickets available for purchase online at the-AFC.com.

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Official mascots unveiled for AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™

AIPS ASIA News

A familiar quintet of charming and adorable jerboas were announced as the official mascots of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ today at a special launch ceremony.

The family of five desert rodents are no strangers to the AFC Asian Cup™, as they had made their debut when Qatar last hosted the flagship competition in 2011. Now, Saboog, Tmbki, Freha, Zkriti and Traeneh are back to take the spotlight in the 18th edition of the showpiece.

The cute mascots were unveiled to the public at the Barahat Msheireb, an open square in downtown Doha, with 42 days to go until the opening kick-off on 12 January, 2024 at the Lusail Stadium between hosts Qatar and Lebanon.

The cast is led by Saboog, the blue-coloured son of the family whose name is derived from the commonly used term in Qatar to refer to the jerboa, or desert rodents. He is followed by the pink-coloured Freha, the eldest daughter of the family who is named after the Freha area in the north of Qatar. Third is Tmbki, the yellow-coloured younger son named after the Timbic region in Qatar’s east. The parents are Zkriti and Traeneh, the green-coloured father and purple-coloured mother respectively; the pair are named after Zikrit in Qatar’s west and Tranaa, to Qatar’s north.

The official mascots are the brainchild of Qatari artist Ahmed Al Maadheed, who wanted to attribute different characteristics to each mascot, akin to the different roles that players take on during a football match. At the same time, he wanted to create a set of characters that resemble a traditional household in Qatar that also pays tribute to all four corners of the country.

“From the very beginning, we wanted to do something that inspired families and young people to be a part of the Asian Cup,” Al Maadheed said. “We wanted to do dig deep into our rich ecological heritage and find an animal that could represent the best of what happens on the pitch and also in our daily lives, and that was the jerboa.

“We decided to present a family of jerboas, each with its own distinctive personality, as a way of acknowledging the importance of teamwork in football, but also acknowledging the importance of family life to societies in Qatar.”

The characters have been brought to life for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ through an anime-inspired animation produced by Katara Studios. From now until the conclusion of the tournament on 10 February, 2024, audiences will be treated to an animated work that invokes the nostalgia of iconic cartoons of the past. The animation was directed by Fahad Al Kuwari, with the song performed by Qatari artist Dana Al Meer and the legendary Tarek Al Arabi Tourgane.

Hassan Al Kuwari, Marketing and Communications Executive Director of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Local Organising Committee (LOC), added: “The mascots of the 2023 Asian Cup invoke wonderful memories from 2011, but also embody the excitement and energy of what will certainly be an amazing competition. The five characters are inspired by Qatar’s natural environment and present us with yet another wonderful opportunity to showcase our culture and heritage to football fans from around the world.”

The official mascot launch follows the reveal of the official slogan, Hayya Asia, in October as the countdown continues towards the grandest ever AFC Asian Cup™, with tickets available for purchase online at the-AFC.com.

Publications
”More>>”
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”More>>”

Jeonbuk State, in collaboration with the Jeonbuk State Office of Education and Jeonbuk Physicl Education Middle & High School, is continuing international exchange and friendship through sports by delivering sports equipment donated by students to youth in three African nations. On the 5th, the State and the Office of Education held a send-off ceremony at Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School for the project titled “Re; Play Together, Jeonbuk Sports Friendship Gifts,” shipping the items to Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Namibia. The theme, ‘Re; Play Together,’ signifies resuming games (Re; Play) that had been halted due to a shortage of soccer balls and sports gear, this time together with Jeonbuk.

This initiative goes beyond mere material support; it aims to practice solidarity and friendship across borders through sports and to expand the foundation for exchange among future generations. In particular, sharing equipment that students actually used spreads the value of sharing while extending Jeonbuk’s international sports diplomacy into schools and the local community. The project originated from visits last year by officials from Zimbabwe and Namibia, with whom Jeonbuk has maintained international sports exchanges. During their visit to Jeonbuk Sports Middle & High School, they requested support for sports equipment. Students readily agreed to contribute, leading to a broader international exchange program supported by the State, the Office of Education, and the school. The donated items total 616 pieces across 12 sports, including soccer, taekwondo, shooting, archery, swimming, etc. —comprising both gear previously used by students and new items collected for this project. The equipment will be delivered to the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and National Olympic Committees of each country via Zimbabwean diplomatic missions and international shipping. It will then be distributed to young athletes and youth active in organizations such as the Kirsty Coventry Academy in Zimbabwe, the Waitaka Taekwondo Club in Kenya, and the MTC Hopsol Youth Soccer League in Namibia.

Kim Jong-phil, Director General of Jeonbuk State’s 2036 Summer Olympics Bid Department, stated: “I hope the precious sports items that nurtured the dreams of our Jeonbuk students will serve as a new source of hope for African youth. Moving forward, we will continue to promote international exchange through sports, guided by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) core values of inclusion and solidarity.” Im Young-gun, Director of Arts, Physical Ed & Health Division at the Jeonbuk State Office of Education, said, “It was a meaningful opportunity for our students to put into practice the spirit of sportsmanship through sharing and caring while developing a global perspective. We hope that the students’ small but heartfelt gesture will be warmly received by young people in Africa.”

Meanwhile, Jeonbuk State has been steadily expanding its international sports network by dispatching a Taekwondo demonstration team to the World Taekwondo U-21 Championship in Kenya, participating in the World Union of Olympic Cities General Assembly, and broadening sports exchanges with African nations. Starting with the “Sports Friendship Gift” pilot project, Jeonbuk State plans to consider expanding the countries and sports covered by the initiative, while also promoting the hosting of international sporting events and exchange programs inviting young athletes from overseas, with the goal of developing Jeonbuk into a specialized international sports city.

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