The 10th integrated soccer team of the ‘2023 Special Olympics Korea K-League Unified Cup’ hosted and supervised by Special Olympics Korea (SOK) and the Korea Professional Football Federation was established by the Chungnam Asan FC integrated soccer team.
The inauguration ceremony was held before the start of the home game between Chungnam Asan and Jeonnam Dragons in the Hana One Q K League 2 2023 held at Yi Sun-shin Stadium on the afternoon of the 10th.
Special Olympics Korea Chairman Lee Yong-hoon, Asan Mayor Park Kyung-gwi, Chungnam Asan FC CEO Jeon Hye-ja, and special partner player representatives joined together to announce the first step of the integrated Chungnam Asan FC soccer team.
‘Integrated soccer’ is an activity in which a Special Olympics athlete (developmentally disabled) and a partner (non-disabled) form a team to train and participate in the game. Through this series of processes, all players have a sense of belonging as equal team members, build a lasting relationship with each other beyond the playground, and ultimately improve social awareness of disabilities and realize an integrated society.
From 2021, SOK and the K-League signed a business agreement to promote integrated soccer in Korea. The ‘2023 Special Olympics Korea K-League Unified Cup’, which was sponsored by Hyundai Motor Group and celebrated its third year this year, was joined by Hana Financial Group as an additional sponsor company, along with football clinics, Unified Cups, festivals, and K-League professional players. Various events such as the All-Star Game will be held.토토사이트 순위
Lee Yong-hoon, president of Special Olympics Korea, said, “The purpose of integrated soccer is for both people with developmental disabilities and non-disabled people to understand each other with a sense of belonging as equal team members, and to realize the value of social inclusion and equality for people with developmental disabilities.”
Chairman Lee Yong-hoon continued, “The establishment of the Chungnam Asan FC integrated soccer team as the 10th Special Olympics K-League integrated soccer team serves as a valuable opportunity to break down barriers in various fields and publicize a greater social resonance, not only in soccer, but as a stepping stone for true social integration. “I would like to express my gratitude to the Chungnam Asan FC club and Asan city officials who participated in the effort to create an integrated society in which disability is not a barrier.”