“I have to go, I have to go!” Cho Won-hee, a former member of the Korean national soccer team, made a signature clenched fist pose. After retirement, Cho, who runs a soccer-related YouTube channel, is wearing something unusual. He appeared in a fluorescent referee’s uniform, not an ordinary uniform or training suit. He has a whistle in his hand. Cho visited the Suanbo Sports Park in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, where the “2024 Special Olympics Korea-K League Unified Cup” was held on Sunday for integrated soccer that combines people with developmental disabilities and non-disabled people. “It was a competition with good intentions, so I came to visit the integrated soccer field once again,” Cho said. “Thank you for allowing me to do healthy things including community, youth development, and Special Olympics after retirement at the Korea Professional Football League.” “Today, I felt again that there is a lot more I can do.” Cho, who confessed that he was an active referee when he was an active player, said, “I shouted out loud because I had a qualification (level 3) as a referee, but when I did it, it was so difficult and I realized that refereeing is a difficult job.” Cho felt integrated soccer throughout his life, overseeing two games in South Gyeongsang Province, Busan, the Korea Professional Football League, and South Jeolla Province.
The “2024 Special Olympics Korea-K League Unified Cup,” co-hosted by K-League Association (Chairman Kwak Young-jin) and Special Olympics Korea (Chairman Chung Yang-seok, hereinafter “SOK”), was also a rich year for the fourth time, sponsored by Hyundai Motor Group, Community Chest of Korea, Ringti, Dongwon Spring Water, and Papa John’s. As diverse and special stories as colorful autumn leaves surrounding Suanbo Sports Park, the event resonated with the participants. The championship, 토토사이트 which aims to help the developmentally disabled and non-disabled understand each other through sports, and to realize the value of social inclusion and equality for the people with developmental disabilities, was held for two nights and three days from Friday, with about 260 participants from the Korea Football Association under each K-League club, Busan and Jeju in South Gyeongsang Province (Divisioning Group A), Bucheon, Seongnam, Incheon and Pohang in Incheon (Group B), and Daegu and Jeonnam Federation (Group C). The team was accompanied by not only coaches and players, but also players’ parents and club PR team staff. Ahead of the main match on Friday, the team had time to become one through recreation. The unified soccer team’s uniform matched that of a professional team. Daegu, wearing a sky blue uniform, participated in the event for the first time and showed off its extraordinary skills. Special player Woo Seung-hwan appeared with his reggae hair because he wanted to stand out. Incheon drew attention as all of its players participated in the competition as employees of Namyang Dairy Products in line with the goal of integrated soccer, which is to foster valuable socialites through sports. “I got a call from Bucheon club after I got a Gonryongpo in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. I have been participating in integrated soccer for two consecutive years, and the prejudice against people with developmental disabilities has disappeared. They are all the same in front of the soccer ball,” he said. Based on 11-member soccer, six special (developmentally disabled) players from each team and five partner players participated in the competition, and 25 minutes each from the first half (20 minutes for Group C). Special players were distinguished by kicking the armband on their right arm. Local rules were set by partner players so that they could not score consecutive goals. All matches were played only in the group stage, where there was no burden of winning or losing. Lee Yoon-pyo, Lee Sang-hyup, and Lee Joon-hee from the K-League attended the training session as a daily coach on Wednesday and taught them “high-end techniques.”