“Oh, I’m so nervous. It’s like watching an A-match referee!”
Cho Won-hee, a former national broadcaster, made a surprise visit to the ‘unified soccer’ scene. On the 9th, she participated as a referee in the ‘2024 Special Olympics Korea-K League Unified Cup’, a festival for people with developmental disabilities, held at the Susanbo Life Sports Park in Chungju, Chungcheongbuk-do.
Dressed in a referee’s uniform and wearing a body camera on his chest, he officiated two games, Busan-Gyeongnam in the first round and Federation-Chonnam in the third round. He was able to enjoy the game with people with developmental disabilities 파워볼사이트 and people without disabilities.
Before each game, her partner (who is able-bodied) wore an armband on his right arm, and Cho Won-hee, who was familiar with the ‘local rule’ of unified soccer, which states that a partner cannot score back-to-back goals, boldly blew the whistle in game after game. “Play! Don’t let them get hurt!”.
“I actually shouted a lot when I came here,” Cho said. I was confident because I had obtained a refereeing license while earning my P-level coach’s license, but it’s not easy when you actually do it.” ”I was a player who used to appeal to referees a lot when I was a player. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to the referees, and watching them for the first time reminded me that it is a very difficult and arduous job. And today’s game was a rivalry match between Busan and Gyeongnam in the K League 2!” he said. The game ended with a 4-1 victory for Gyeongnam.
Cho Won-hee’s sweaty scene was the “2024 Special Olympics Korea-K League Unified Cup,” co-organized by K-League Assist (Chairman Kwak Young-jin) and Special Olympics Korea (Chairman Jung Yang-seok) and sponsored by Hyundai Motor Group, Social Welfare Foundation, Ringtee, Dongwon Spring Water, and Papa John’s.
The Unified Cup, now in its fourth year, is an integrated soccer-based competition that pairs athletes with developmental disabilities with their non-disabled partners. Unified soccer aims to help people with developmental disabilities and people without disabilities understand each other through sports and realize the value of social inclusion and equality for people with developmental disabilities.
The tournament featured about 260 players from 11 integrated soccer teams affiliated with K League clubs (Federation, Gyeongnam, Daegu, Daejeon, Daejeon, Busan, Bucheon, Seongnam, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeju, Pohang). Daegu participated for the first time this year. Gyutae Gyu-tae, a soccer YouTuber known for his Goryongpo, played as a partner player for Bucheon. “I think everyone is equal in front of a soccer ball,” says Kyu-tae. I was fascinated by the idea of doing something meaningful, so I participated for the second time this year after last year.” ”I played for about 15 minutes against Incheon. I barely caught the ball and just watched,” he laughed.
All participating teams checked into their accommodations on the 8th, registered their players, and then competed over two days on the 9th and 10th. The format of the tournament is a full league with each team divided into A, B, and C groups. Gyeongnam, Busan, and Jeju are in Group A; Bucheon, Seongnam, Incheon, and Pohang are in Group B; and Daegu, Daejeon, Yeonju, and Jeonnam are in Group C. The groups are organized based on the results of the Unified International Cup in September.
All matches are based on 11-a-side soccer, with six special (developmentally disabled) players and five partner players per team, playing 25 minutes in each half. All matches will be played in a group stage with no pressure to win or lose, and the awards ceremony will recognize the “first winner” (1st place) to “fourth winner” (4th place) of each group, not the winner.
The tournament will also feature a variety of events, including soccer training sessions with former K-League player Lee Yoon-pyo and Lee Sang-hyup, filming of an Igot Hae Jo Won-hee-type content with Jo Won-hee, recreation with the entire team, and disability awareness training.
“It’s a good cause,” said Cho Won-hee, ”and I’m so grateful that after retiring from professional soccer, I was able to do a lot of healthy activities, especially in the community, as well as youth development and the Special Olympics. Today, I realize that there is more I can do,” he said.
SOK Chairman Chung Yang-seok said, “Through unified sports, we can bring people with disabilities and partners together to increase understanding and improve awareness. I think unified soccer is a good competition because it can improve sports skills,” said Jung. ”SOK will strive to improve the rights and interests of people with disabilities through this kind of sports, so that they can better participate in society.”