Korean football official vows support to CNMI

KFA president and FIFA Council member Chung Mong-Gyu, left, presents the Korean national team jersey to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres during a welcome dinner for the Saipan visitor last weekend. (Contributed Photo)

The Korean Football Association will continue to help the CNMI through the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association for the development of the sport in the Commonwealth.

“NMIFA, just like Korea Football Association, is part of the East Asian Football Federation and the Asian Football Confederation, so we are family and we are always ready to help your FA, which has been working hard to promote and improve the sport of football here,” said KFA president and FIFA Council member Chung Mong-Gyu, who was on Saipan last weekend for a short visit.

“We can help bring coaches, officials, and players to help NMIFA in its programs and activities or your players can come to Korea and train there,” Chung said.

Earlier this month, the CNMI Boys U18 National Team went to Changnyeong Sports Park and held a five-day training camp at the facility, playing four matches against Japan’s Kunimi High School and Kyoto Kyoei Gakuen and the hosts’ New Yangdong FC and Gwangju FC.

“I believed your team had some good games there and I hope the training camp will help prepare them for the AFC U19 Championship 2018 Qualifiers,” said Chung, whose national youth team is entered in the same tournament, but in a different bracket (Group F).

“We would love to help your youth teams,” the AFC and EAFF vice president added.

Chung also said he hopes to bring Korean teams on Saipan because the island is an ideal location for their squads during winter.

“The weather is nice and the people are very warm. I am sure our teams would love to play and train here,” he said.

Meanwhile, NMIFA president Jerry Tan said the support they get from KFA and other EAFF and AFC members is very important in the association’s goal of bringing CNMI football to the next level.

“It’s not easy since we are way behind other EAFF or AFC members if we talk about when they started with the program. We started in 2005 and in that year, Guam celebrated its 30th anniversary, so just imagine the gap. However, through the help of our friends in EAFF and AFC and other members of these federations, we’re getting there. We’re on course toward elevating CNMI football and providing our players, coaches, and officials the opportunities they need to develop their skills,” Tan said.

“I am very thankful to Mr. Chung and KFA for their assistance to our team during its training camp in Korea. They are definitely welcome to come here if they decide to play or train,” the NMIFA head added.