KOREA FOUNDATION

COVER STORY

National pride plays a major role in international sports competitions
By_Lee Hyuk, 4th Secretary General of the ASEAN- Korea Centre

National pride plays a major role in international sports competitions, especially when it comes to football tournaments. Countries around the world invest heavily into a variety of sports, and athletes commonly take particular pride in representing their countries. Traditional football powerhouses in Europe and South America also have world-class professional leagues, with fan communities around the world.

In November of this year, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar, and the South Korean team achieved the feat of qualifying for the World Cup for the tenth consecutive time. VietNam, currently managed by Park Hang-seo, did their best in the Asian qualifiers, but unfortunately, they did not win a ticket to Qatar. As a matter of fact, thus far, no ASEAN country has ever qualified for the World Cup finals.

Still, ASEAN footballers show off their skills at the biennial AFF Suzuki Cup, held by the ASEAN Football Federation. ASEAN football players and their fans are just as passionate as those of well-known football nations. With such high interest, I am confident that one or more of the ASEAN countries will soon enough be able to shine at the World Cup finals.

The contents of all articles may differ from the editorial direction of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.