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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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Cuper pleased with Syria’s resilience; Katanec rues missed chances

AIPS AISA News:
Al Rayyan: Syria head coach Hector Cuper was pleased with his charges despite their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group B tie against Uzbekistan ending in a goalless draw on Saturday.

Satisfied with a point from their opening match, the Argentine is convinced that the draw will inject his team with fresh self-belief ahead of their remaining clashes.

“The team was well-prepared and followed the game plan as we had discussed earlier. I am very happy with their performance and I think this will boost their morale immensely,” said Cuper.
“Uzbekistan are a strong team who not only have a good mix of young and experienced players, but they have also had the opportunity to play together for a good three years. So, I am glad that we put up a strong game against them.”

Cuper, who is one of the most experienced coaches at the AFC Asian Cup, further pointed out that the performance of his players was especially commendable as the squad had had little time to prepare as a collective unit.
“Ideally, it is great to have a different strategy for each opponent but in the short while that we had, we have had to make do with a setup where we make minor adjustments ahead of each match. But I think with four days in hand before our match against Australia, we should be well-prepared,” he said.

 Syrian goalkeeper Ahmad Madanieh, who was judged the best player of the evening, was also not deterred by the task of facing 2015 champions Australia, who defeated India 2-0 on Saturday.
“On a personal level, I think it is very important to not lose the opening game and thus, I am happy we came away with a point. Moreover, I think our defence was quite solid and we are more than equipped to face a team like Australia,” said Madanieh.

“I think after our performance against Uzbekistan, we really believe in our chances of making it to the knockout stage for the first time ever, and with the help of the technical staff and the fans in the stadium, there is a lot of confidence among us.”

Uzbekistan head coach Srecko Katanec, on the other hand, did not mask his disappointment and was eager to move on to focus on the upcoming ties against India on Thursday, followed by Australia on January 23.

“Obviously I am disappointed with the scoreline, but I cannot put any blame on the team. They tried everything but they had 10 well-built Syrian players playing at the back and they just couldn’t score,” said Katanec.

With the White Wolves missing a valuable member of their pack, Eldor Shomurodov, Katanec is keen to help his charges find a way around the glaring absence upfront.

“This is not a problem exclusive to Uzbekistan. If you lose your main striker, it will pose a problem for any team. Even Argentina will falter if you take Lionel Messi away from them,” he said.
“That being said, we cannot be impaired by the absence of Shomurodov and hopefully we will rectify our mistakes by the time of our next match.”
Courtesy AFC
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Cuper pleased with Syria’s resilience; Katanec rues missed chances

AIPS AISA News:
Al Rayyan: Syria head coach Hector Cuper was pleased with his charges despite their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ Group B tie against Uzbekistan ending in a goalless draw on Saturday.

Satisfied with a point from their opening match, the Argentine is convinced that the draw will inject his team with fresh self-belief ahead of their remaining clashes.

“The team was well-prepared and followed the game plan as we had discussed earlier. I am very happy with their performance and I think this will boost their morale immensely,” said Cuper.
“Uzbekistan are a strong team who not only have a good mix of young and experienced players, but they have also had the opportunity to play together for a good three years. So, I am glad that we put up a strong game against them.”

Cuper, who is one of the most experienced coaches at the AFC Asian Cup, further pointed out that the performance of his players was especially commendable as the squad had had little time to prepare as a collective unit.
“Ideally, it is great to have a different strategy for each opponent but in the short while that we had, we have had to make do with a setup where we make minor adjustments ahead of each match. But I think with four days in hand before our match against Australia, we should be well-prepared,” he said.

 Syrian goalkeeper Ahmad Madanieh, who was judged the best player of the evening, was also not deterred by the task of facing 2015 champions Australia, who defeated India 2-0 on Saturday.
“On a personal level, I think it is very important to not lose the opening game and thus, I am happy we came away with a point. Moreover, I think our defence was quite solid and we are more than equipped to face a team like Australia,” said Madanieh.

“I think after our performance against Uzbekistan, we really believe in our chances of making it to the knockout stage for the first time ever, and with the help of the technical staff and the fans in the stadium, there is a lot of confidence among us.”

Uzbekistan head coach Srecko Katanec, on the other hand, did not mask his disappointment and was eager to move on to focus on the upcoming ties against India on Thursday, followed by Australia on January 23.

“Obviously I am disappointed with the scoreline, but I cannot put any blame on the team. They tried everything but they had 10 well-built Syrian players playing at the back and they just couldn’t score,” said Katanec.

With the White Wolves missing a valuable member of their pack, Eldor Shomurodov, Katanec is keen to help his charges find a way around the glaring absence upfront.

“This is not a problem exclusive to Uzbekistan. If you lose your main striker, it will pose a problem for any team. Even Argentina will falter if you take Lionel Messi away from them,” he said.
“That being said, we cannot be impaired by the absence of Shomurodov and hopefully we will rectify our mistakes by the time of our next match.”
Courtesy AFC
Publications
”More>>”
Videos
”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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