Captain Park for the National Sports Festival!
(July 5, 2011)

Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo send video message to the 92nd National Sports Festival – “Enjoy the games and show everyone what you’ve got!”

– The first JS Cup East Asia Youth Soccer Tournament opened on the 1st of July at the Ji-Sung Football Center (JSFC) in Suwon. Soccer player Park Ji-sung recorded a video for fellow soccer players who are attending the 92nd National Sports Festival. (GNews Plus)

Park Ji-sung, the “Eternal Captain” of Korean soccer, and Lee Young-pyo recorded a video in which they convey best wishes to all the participants of the 92nd National Sports Festival.

Gyeonggi Province recorded a video message by soccer players Lee Yeong-pyo and Park Ji-sung for the upcoming JS Cup East Asia Youth Soccer Tournament on the 1st of July.

Park said, “I hope Gyeonggi Province’s 92nd National Sports Festival goes as planned. It is the event that gave me a big break in terms of my soccer career.”

Park participated in the 79th National Sports Festival, which was held on Jeju Island in 1998 when he was playing for the Suwon High School soccer team. The team was coached by Lee Hak-jong and made its way to the top, beating the Jeju team in the final and winning the tournament.

After the tournament Park Ji-sung went on to Myongji University, and was soon selected as a member of the national team and went on to play a key part in the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup. Now he is playing for a British team, Manchester United, in the Premier League, and has fans around the globe, making him the best-known Asian soccer player in the world.

For Park, participating in the Sports Festival is a very special memory. He said, “The game I played in 1998 was the first national soccer tournament we won. I know the training can be tough, but it is a great chance to compete with other players and an opportunity to boost your skills. Players should overcome the pressure and just enjoy the event.”

He also added, “I hope all players who attend this festival become the best in their field. Hold on to your dreams and move forward. I will be visiting the stadiums to cheer for my fellow soccer players during the festival period.”

Park and Lee’s video message will be posted on the National Sports Festival’s official website, on its Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/92NSF, and on Twitter at @92NSF. In the meantime, Park left the country to return to his team, Manchester United, on the 3rd of July.

-GNews Plus News | Nam Gyeong-Wu echo2008@kg21.net

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201107051049411763C049&s_code=C049