KFA donating gear to South Sudanese team
Published: 12 Mar. 2014, 21:16
From left, coach Lim Heung-se, Paju training center chief Choi Man-hee and coach Lee Sung-je with football gear being donated to South Sudan. Provided by the KFA
The decision to reach out to South Sudan was suggested by KFA President Chung Mong-gyu, who was impressed by a January report from the JoongAng Ilbo on Lim Heung-se, the Korean coach of the South Sudanese national football team. Since then, Chung has been looking for a way to help football players in the country. He spoke with Executive Director Ahn Ki-heon and Vice President Huh Jung-moo before meeting with coach Lim to narrow down the aid plan.
In January, the South Sudanese Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports appointed Lim as the head coach of the national football team, acknowledging his efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in South Africa in the past decade. The Sports Ministry added that it expects Lim’s passion for football will help South Sudanese players advance their abilities.
Meanwhile, Lee Sung-je will coach the A-match team of the South Sudanese national football team. He previously served as head coach of Afghanistan’s national under-17 football team for 10 years.
“The 2002 FIFA World Cup enabled Korea to rise as a global player in the international football world,” Choi Man-hee, head of the Paju National Football Center, said yesterday.
“From now on, KFA should be more actively engaged in promoting football in the world’s most impoverished regions. Reaching out to South Sudan will be our first step to carry out that mission.”
KFA’s aid parcels will be delivered sometime next month.
BY SONG JI-HOON [helena725@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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