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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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Sarah Walsh: It’s my turn to bring down barriers for young girls

AIPS ASIA News:

With one week to go to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Day 2024, the Confederation’s latest “It’s My Game” episode delves into the remarkable journey of Sarah Walsh, Head of Women’s Football at Football Australia, whose unwavering commitment to developing the women’s game reached its pinnacle with the historic success of the Matildas at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.

A former striker who faced multiple career-threatening injuries before the age of 18, Walsh overcame the odds to make her debut for the national team at 21 in 2004 and eventually etched her name in the history books when the Matildas emerged as champions of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ for the first time in 2010.

Since hanging up her boots, the 40-year-old has drawn on her unique perspective as a footballer turned administrator to put players first while considering the broader needs of the sport.

“I was pretty much the only girl playing in Camden, and elsewhere it was probably just Heather Garriock (who was) playing at the time,” recalled Walsh. “To be honest, I was part of the one per cent and I would have overcome anything to play football for my country. Now it is my turn to do the work to bring down barriers for young girls and make sure all of them can play, even if it is just for fun.”

This determination led her to be at the forefront of the Legacy ’23 programme which transformed the landscape of women’s football Down Under, culminating in a historic Semi-final finish at the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia’s best ever.

“Of course, we kicked off Legacy ‘23 in 2021 as part of our bid to win the rights to host the competition. But it was more about delivering economic and social change and we are proud to say that we secured over AUD $357 million in funding,” said Walsh.

“However, it’s not just the investment with what we did with the Matildas on the pitch; we had them at the centre and heart of everything that we did for three years, and we focused on how we can improve, or cascade, all the change we’ve made at the Matildas’ level.

“Focusing on high performance has been a key pillar of the plan to ensure that we’re building a legacy beyond this current Matildas squad and address shortcomings, the results of which, thanks to the exemplary leadership of Tony Gustavsson, were evident at the (FIFA Women’s) World Cup.”

As the unforgettable experience of the women’s global showpiece continues to reverberate, Walsh remains optimistic about the future and sees the tournament as a catalyst for change that will inspire young children to dream big.

“I think we’ve unlocked something here in Australia and we’ll be talking about this for decades,” said Walsh, who amassed 70 international caps and 31 goals for her country. “We have built a fandom around the Matildas and their success will play a key role in driving the interest at a grassroots level.”

Additionally, with the inaugural edition of the AFC Women’s Champions League on the horizon, Walsh is confident that exciting times await women’s football in not just Australia, but across the Continent.

“The AFC’s attention towards developing the women’s game in Asia is seeing rapid progress, especially when it comes to initiatives such as club licensing which has been instrumental in allowing clubs to benchmark themselves and use it as a tool to improve in really key areas, whether it be through technical or just grassroots development,” she said.

“Therefore, I see the AFC Women’s Champions League to be at the very heart of the change that we have been striving for. In Europe, we have seen how it has attracted big names and I’m very excited about what the AFC Women’s Champions League will do for football in Asia.”

Launched on the AFC Women’s Football Day in 2018, the AFC’s “It’s My Game” campaign continues to honour inspiring women in football throughout the world’s largest Continent, reaching millions of people via the AFC’s digital channels.

Courtesy AFC

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Sarah Walsh: It’s my turn to bring down barriers for young girls

AIPS ASIA News:

With one week to go to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Football Day 2024, the Confederation’s latest “It’s My Game” episode delves into the remarkable journey of Sarah Walsh, Head of Women’s Football at Football Australia, whose unwavering commitment to developing the women’s game reached its pinnacle with the historic success of the Matildas at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.

A former striker who faced multiple career-threatening injuries before the age of 18, Walsh overcame the odds to make her debut for the national team at 21 in 2004 and eventually etched her name in the history books when the Matildas emerged as champions of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™ for the first time in 2010.

Since hanging up her boots, the 40-year-old has drawn on her unique perspective as a footballer turned administrator to put players first while considering the broader needs of the sport.

“I was pretty much the only girl playing in Camden, and elsewhere it was probably just Heather Garriock (who was) playing at the time,” recalled Walsh. “To be honest, I was part of the one per cent and I would have overcome anything to play football for my country. Now it is my turn to do the work to bring down barriers for young girls and make sure all of them can play, even if it is just for fun.”

This determination led her to be at the forefront of the Legacy ’23 programme which transformed the landscape of women’s football Down Under, culminating in a historic Semi-final finish at the 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia’s best ever.

“Of course, we kicked off Legacy ‘23 in 2021 as part of our bid to win the rights to host the competition. But it was more about delivering economic and social change and we are proud to say that we secured over AUD $357 million in funding,” said Walsh.

“However, it’s not just the investment with what we did with the Matildas on the pitch; we had them at the centre and heart of everything that we did for three years, and we focused on how we can improve, or cascade, all the change we’ve made at the Matildas’ level.

“Focusing on high performance has been a key pillar of the plan to ensure that we’re building a legacy beyond this current Matildas squad and address shortcomings, the results of which, thanks to the exemplary leadership of Tony Gustavsson, were evident at the (FIFA Women’s) World Cup.”

As the unforgettable experience of the women’s global showpiece continues to reverberate, Walsh remains optimistic about the future and sees the tournament as a catalyst for change that will inspire young children to dream big.

“I think we’ve unlocked something here in Australia and we’ll be talking about this for decades,” said Walsh, who amassed 70 international caps and 31 goals for her country. “We have built a fandom around the Matildas and their success will play a key role in driving the interest at a grassroots level.”

Additionally, with the inaugural edition of the AFC Women’s Champions League on the horizon, Walsh is confident that exciting times await women’s football in not just Australia, but across the Continent.

“The AFC’s attention towards developing the women’s game in Asia is seeing rapid progress, especially when it comes to initiatives such as club licensing which has been instrumental in allowing clubs to benchmark themselves and use it as a tool to improve in really key areas, whether it be through technical or just grassroots development,” she said.

“Therefore, I see the AFC Women’s Champions League to be at the very heart of the change that we have been striving for. In Europe, we have seen how it has attracted big names and I’m very excited about what the AFC Women’s Champions League will do for football in Asia.”

Launched on the AFC Women’s Football Day in 2018, the AFC’s “It’s My Game” campaign continues to honour inspiring women in football throughout the world’s largest Continent, reaching millions of people via the AFC’s digital channels.

Courtesy AFC

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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