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SOUTH KOREA & CUBA: Sports, Recreation, and Leisure

INTRODUCTION
Geography of South Korea

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which extends
some 1,100 km (680 mi) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is
flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. Its southern tip
lies on the Korea Strait and the East China Sea. The country, including all its islands,
lies between latitudes 33° and 39°N, and longitudes 124° and 130°E. Its total area is
100,032 square kilometers (38,622.57 sq mi).

South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an


eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal
plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins,
and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and
valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad
basin of the Nakdong River.

About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited,


lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. Jeju-
do is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the
country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 square kilometers (712 square miles).
Jeju is also the site of South Korea's highest point: Hallasan, an extinct volcano,
reaches 1,950 meters (6,400 feet) above sea level. The easternmost islands of South
Korea include Ulleungdo and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima), while Marado and
Socotra Rock are the southernmost islands of South Korea. South Korea has 20
national parks and popular nature places like the Boseong Tea Fields, Suncheon Bay
Ecological Park, and the first national park of Jirisan.

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The current status of South Korean sports, recreation, and leisure as imbedded in
tourism

South Korea offers a wide range of sports, recreation,


and leisure activities, from traditional martial arts such
as Taekwondo and judo to more global sports such as
football and baseball. Football, in particular, is a very
popular spectator sport and there are many stadiums
around the country. Another popular sporting pastime
in South Korea is
golf. There are
several world-class golf courses and club
membership is relatively affordable. The hot
climate and extensive coastline make diving, boating
and sailing, and other watersports popular
choices too. South Korea’s many national parks
offer spectacular walking trails and hiking is a very
popular way to explore the mountain
countryside.

The Korean sports industry is growing rapidly. As the


income level and leisure time of Koreans have increased,
having a healthy lifestyle has become more important. In
addition, global sports stars such as soccer player Son
Heung-min and figure skater Kim Yuna have boosted
interest in sports. As a result, the participation rate of
regular sports activities to maintain health is increasing across all generations. The size
of the sports industry has steadily increased with 4.4 percent annual growth over the
past five years and reached 78 trillion South Korean won in 2018.

Sports facilities in South Korea are diversifying because of people who want to try out
new sports. In particular, the number of fitness studios has increased by 150 percent

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compared to a decade ago, which shows that
the number of people participating in sports
regularly has increased. Recently, fitness
studios have expanded their offerings to
provide personal training or scientific fitness
management services, allowing people to
enjoy sports more efficiently and smartly. The
golf population is also rising, along with the
size of golf facilities. The number of outdoor
practice ranges and indoor or screen golf
courses has also increased significantly.
Screen golf courses have specifically gained
popularity as people can easily practice golf
regardless of the weather or time of day.

Since the 2002 FIFA Korea-Japan World Cup, Koreans have shown an increased
interest in professional sports. Ticket sales at matches and other sporting events grew
by 40 percent since 2014. Domestic sports spectators totaled 11.5 million in 2017. The
four major spectator sports were baseball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball. In
particular, professional baseball has gained younger fans as they enjoy going to the
stadium as a form of entertainment. As of 2017, the professional baseball league (KBO
League) attracted the largest audience in its history. As Korea's professional sports are
based in a city where the home stadium is located, each local government is trying to
attract a professional sports industry that will have a positive effect on the local
economy.

Geography of Cuba

Cuba is an archipelago of islands located in the


northern Caribbean Sea at the confluence with the
Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It lies

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between latitudes 19° and 24°N, and longitudes 74° and 85°W. The United States lies
150 kilometers (93 miles) across the Straits of Florida to the north and northwest (to the
closest tip of Key West, Florida), and The Bahamas (Cay Lobos) 21 km (13 mi) to the
north. Mexico lies 210 kilometers (130 miles) across the Yucatán Channel to the west
(to the closest tip of Cabo Catoche in the State of Quintana Roo).

Haiti is 77 km (48 mi) to the east, Jamaica (140 km/87 mi), and the Cayman Islands to
the south. Cuba is the principal island, surrounded by four smaller groups of islands: the
Colorados Archipelago on the northwestern coast, the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago
on the north-central Atlantic coast, the Jardines de la Reina on the south-central coast,
and the Canarreos Archipelago on the southwestern coast.

The main island, named Cuba, is 1,250 km (780 mi) long, constituting most of the
nation's land area (104,556 km 2 (40,369 sq mi)) and is the largest island in the
Caribbean and 17th-largest island in the world by land area. The main island consists
mostly of flat to rolling plains apart from the Sierra Maestra mountains in the southeast,
whose highest point is Pico Turquino (1,974 m (6,476 ft)).

The second-largest island is Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the Canarreos


archipelago, with an area of 2,200 km 2 (849 sq mi). Cuba has an official area (land
area) of 109,884 km2 (42,426 sq mi). Its area is 110,860 km 2 (42,803 sq mi) including
coastal and territorial waters.

The current status of Cuba’s sports, recreation and leisure as imbedded in


tourism

Cuba has a long history associated with the


United States and this also influenced the
sports scene in the country. Unlike most
Spanish-speaking countries that often favor
football or soccer, Cuban sports fans lean
towards North American influenced sports

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which means they share the United States' love for its national pastime, baseball. This
does not mean that they do not like football though. As a matter of fact, Cubans also
love playing basketball, cricket, volleyball, and even athletics. They are also a
powerhouse in amateur boxing bringing home a lot of medals in various international
competitions.

Cuba has sent athletes to the Summer Olympic Games since 1900, but never
participated in the Winter Games. They
have won over 200 medals, with their best
results from the 1992 Barcelona Games
where they took home 31 medals, 14 of
which were gold medals. Their best
performing event is boxing followed by
athletics. Cuba is the most successful
country that has participated in the
Summer Olympics without ever attending
the Winter Games. They are also the fifth-
highest number of medals among the
countries that have never hosted the
Olympic Games.

BACKGROUND
South Korea

Taekwondo, a popular martial sport is often claimed to have historical origins on the
Korean peninsula with origins said to have been traced as far back as the 1st century
BCE. However, such historical claims are difficult to empirically verify and separate from
the influences of neighboring counties. The sport rose to prominence following the end
of the Japanese occupation with the end of WWII. Formalized rules were established in
1961 and in 1988 the sport became an Olympic event. The name "Taekwondo" literally
means way of foot and fist, although the modern emphasis lies on the kicks. This may
be a way to help legitimize the sport's connection to the traditional practice called
Taekkyon, which originated in Korea during the Goguryeo period in the 4th century.

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Taekkyon uses hands and feet as well as any part of the body; though only open feet
and open hands are allowed during competitions. The motions are smoother and more
curvilinear than in Taekwondo.

Although there is much controversy regarding the historical origins of many martial
disciplines in South Korea, there is little question that, Koreanized or traditional in origin,
Korean martial arts and sports have enjoyed considerable success. Styles such as
Hapkido, Kuk Sool, Hwarangdo, Han Moo Do, Yudo, Kumdo, Goog-sool, and many
others arose quickly out of an independent Korea and have spread to countries around
the world. Although they are not as popular as Taekwondo, they each uniquely
represent the Korean martial spirit which dates back to antiquity. Unlike Japanese
martial arts which often use "-do" at a name's end (meaning "way"), traditional Korean
martial arts were called "Mu Sool" or "Mu Yea". This could lead to some confusion since
although the "do" in Taekwondo and Hapkido means "way" (as in Karate-do and
Aikido), the historical meaning in Hwarangdo is different from the modern usage (also
"way" like the others). When that martial art was invented in the 1960s, the name was
borrowed from an ancient group (do) consisting mainly of the children of the gentry
class (yangban) for learning military tactics, leadership, and fighting skills.

Cuba

Post Revolutionary Cuba prides itself on its success in sports. Fidel Castro expressed
that sports should be “the right of the people,” not the right of the wealthy. He compared
Pre-Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary Cuba by explaining that while before only the
wealthy could enjoy sports, now everyone can enjoy sports. He also explains that talent
in sport comes from hard work, and a strong will. These are not traits the naturally
wealthy have; rather these are traits that working-class people have. In modern Cuban
society, sport and physical education begin when a child is only 45 days old. The
mothers are taught to exercise their children's limbs and massage their muscles to keep
them healthy. Children are taught at a later age to play games that resemble physical
exercise.] These ideas were the basis for the modern sports program in Cuba, and
clearly it is working. Considering that Cuba's population is only around 11.49 million,

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Cuba has a demanding 0.96 to 0.05 lead against China (1.379 billion) in the number of
2016 Olympic medals won per million occupants.

In 1961, two years after the triumph of the Revolution, The National Institute of Sport,
Physical Education, and Recreation (INDER) was created. This was the governing
branch of all sport and recreation in Cuba. It developed all of the current sports and
education programs in place today, including the EIDE, which is the program that finds
the naturally talented young adults and gets them into sports-oriented secondary
schools. All first and secondary schools in Cuba teach sport and physical education as
a compulsory subject. There are five sports taught in all standard secondary schools:
track and field, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and volleyball. The students who excel
at a certain sport usually find themselves competing in the Cuban summer Junior
Olympics which is where the EIDE sees their talent and recruits them to a specialized
school that caters to just their sport.

Most of these specialized schools are located on the Isle of Youth. This is a 2,200
square kilometer island to the south of Cuba which has more than 27 of these schools,
each having about 600 children who attend. The majority of them are semi-boarding
schools where the students get on a boat to the island every Sunday evening and return
every Friday evening. The schools are spread out across the island and have citrus
groves in between them. Being consistent with the ideals of the Revolution, all of the
students are required to put in 3 hours of work a day pickling or canning fruit.

Every school in Cuba participates in the Junior Olympic Program established in 1963.
However many of the standard secondary schools only compete in the sports for which
they have teams, for instance, most of them do not have pools. The competition usually
commences in July. The games have a traditional ladder system where first local
schools compete, then the district winners will compete, and finally the regional winners
will compete. However, for team sports, the winning teams will move on, but the best
players from all of the losing teams will form a new team and also move on. This way no
single great player will be tossed out because of a bad team. As of 1978, the Cuban
Junior Olympics involved 20 sports: Chess, Weightlifting, Athletics, Tennis, Football,
Table Tennis, Basketball, Modern Gymnastics, Gymnastics, Synchronized Swimming,

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Swimming, Diving, Volleyball, Water Polo, Cycling, Fencing, Judo, Roller derby, Roller
hockey, Pistol Shooting, Baseball and Wrestling.

INDER has many programs, including the National Institute for Sports Medicine, the
National Coaches program, and the National Physical Education Institute. All of these
were developed during the relatively strong economic period of 1960–1990. The Special
Period of the 1990s–2000s created many special challenges for INDER, including
budget cutbacks and a limited amount of electricity causing blackouts. In the early
1990s, many of the night sporting events were canceled to preserve electricity.

Cuba's new sports program also began to pay for itself when many of the best players
were allowed to retire early and take up positions on teams in other countries. These
other countries wanted to hire them because of Cuba's fantastic success in training
winning athletes. These players would earn a large salary, and about 80% of it would go
directly to the Cuban government. The players would then pocket the other 20%, which
was more than what the average Cuban in Cuba was earning. It is worthy to note that
Castro abolished professional sport in Cuba in the beginning of the Revolution. What
this meant was that all leagues and teams are considered amateur. This concept was
embedded in the stated ideals of the revolution, that everyone should be equal.
However this outflow of the best athletes and trainers began to take its toll. In 1997
Cuba ended its 10-year, 152-game, winning-streak at the baseball International Cup by
losing to Japan 11 to 2. To fix this problem, Cuba began to offer material incentives like
houses and cars to the good players to keep them from playing for other countries.
These offerings weren't to completely prevent talented Cuban's from leaving the
country; instead they were there to keep the system balanced. By the year 2007 there
were 50 nations around the world who employed several hundred Cuban sports trainers
and coaches.

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South Korea SWOT Analysis
Strengths:

● Abundant outdoor recreation opportunities in the surrounding National Park.


● Community of South Korea has a rich heritage and well established tourism
industry.
● Predictable population growth and recreation demands.
● Exciting influx of diverse populations.
● Influx of tourists has led to benefits of a wide range of recreational facilities that a
similar
● Sports complexes typically are always able to remain profitable and cash flow
positive given the fact that the enrollees very much enjoy this activity regardless
of whether or not an economic recession is occurring. The highly recurring
streams of revenue generated for membership in sports, recreation, and leisure

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activities always ensures that the underlying debt obligations associated with
these businesses and sports can be serviced on a month-to-month basis in
South Korea.

Weaknesses:

● The community is unfamiliar with the opportunities available.


● Limited use data for some activities and for activities taking place at partner
facilities.
● Limited land base constraints on forms of development, limits to new resources
(tax base from population growth)
● Sports in complexes have extremely high operating costs as it relates to
maintaining the facility as well as a large-scale staff in South Korea. There is
really nothing that can be done to mitigate this risk given the fact that this is just
the nature of the business and sports. However, over time and especially as
these businesses and sports generate greater and greater amounts of recurring
revenue these businesses and sports are able to service these underlying
expenses without a problem.

Opportunities:

● Maximize efficient use of space (facilities, scheduling)


● Maximize access to free / flexible recreation opportunities
● South Korea’s new facility will provide new opportunities for swimming, indoor
climbing, and other indoor recreation programs
● For a new sports complex is limitless. Between expanding the facilities, hosting
events, managing tournaments, expanding the food and beverage services
associated with these businesses owners, sports complexes are able to find
ways to increase their revenues on a year-to-year basis. One of the other
opportunities that exists for an athlete in this field is the establishment of
additional locations once the initial one has become profitable.

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Threats:

● Cost and time are significant barriers for many in the service and sports industry.
● Scheduling: Participation during evenings, weekends and holidays may be
limited for many residents
● Hockey and Rugby have high travel time requirements for games; contributes to
costs as well.
● The only major risk faced by most sports complexes in South Korea is a severe
and prolonged economic recession which may have some of the members
cancel their membership. However, outside of this risk there typically very few
threats faced by sports complex businesses.

Cuba SWOT Analysis


Strengths:
● There is currently a sport, recreation, leisure, and PE curriculum in place
and there is improvement in the quality PE provision in schools including
at the preschool level.
● Schools generally have a good relationship with the National Security
Agency (NSAs) and there are well-established inter-primary competitions
in a variety of sports.
● A number of NSAs have clear development plans with achievement
targets and all of the core sports have a technical director in place.
● Government remains committed to improving sport in Cuba and
communication and transparency in Government have improved.
● There is a range of basic sports facilities across Cuba.
● National Sport Policy and Strategic Plan for the Cuba, 2013-2018 “To
Improve the lives of all through sport”

Weaknesses:
● Some overarching issues include the absence of a common voice or a
guiding vision for sports, recreation, and leisure at the national level.

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● Major stakeholders are unclear about their various roles in the sporting
infrastructure and all face a challenge with funding.
● In schools, there is a general focus on competitive sport rather than PE
and there is insufficient time dedicated to the subject.
● PE is perceived as being less valuable than other subjects and a lack of
infrastructure hinders adequate delivery of school sport.
● Insufficient and inadequate coaching remains a major problem. Some
sports suffer from a lack of coaching expertise and many sports utilize the
same coaches for community and elite sports development. Female
coaches are in short supply at the higher levels and there is a shortage of
sports science support.
● There are no sports psychology resources.
● NSAs continue to be run by volunteers and many do not have
management and strategic planning capabilities.
● They struggle to cope with rapid population growth and the consequent
increased participation in some sports.
● The lack of clearly defined recreation, leisure, and sporting seasons and
poor coordination of facility use lead to conflicts.
● Some facilities are underutilized while others are overused. Location of
facilities is causing some challenges for increasing public and school
participation in sport.
● There is also reluctance on the part of the public to pay for using
recreational facilities. Some facilities are in need of upgrades and repair.

Opportunities:
● The formation of the Strategic Sports Advisory Group is viewed as a
sound platform for more effective collaboration across major sporting
stakeholders and for improved coordination and cooperation among the
NSAs.
● It is also expected that the delivery of its outputs will serve to strengthen
the sporting infrastructure across Cuba.

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● The new PE curriculum is expected to serve as a catalyst for change and
increased opportunities for more and higher quality in recreation, leisure,
and sports.
● The adoption of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) principles can
assist in adding clarity to the roles of the major stakeholders and provide a
guide for the development of appropriate coaching.
● It can also lead to increased participation and greater numbers of elite
athletes and generally promote the development of a sporting culture.
● Cuba geographical location and favorable weather is seen as an
opportunity for driving sport tourism.
● National Sport Policy and Strategic Plan for Cuba, 2013-2018 “To Improve
the lives of all through sport” 7 There are also opportunities for funding
through self-promotion and sports tourism. A lottery was seen as an
opportunity for funding. The Government’s television station is considered
to have the potential for promoting the attractiveness, awareness, and
benefits of sport and physical activity.

Threats:
● Major threats include insufficient capacity, time, or expertise to provide
training in the new sports, recreation, leisure, and PE curriculum; the
attitude of some parents and teachers is counter-productive.
● The continued declining economic situation is a threat to funding and
development as increasing numbers of organizations seek assistance.
● Within NSAs, there is a lack of capacity in a variety of areas including
administration, structure, human resources, facilities, and strategic
development.
● Most NSAs are led by volunteers, and there is a lack of succession
planning for technical directors and other key personnel.

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SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS
South Korea
1. The most important factors behind South Korea’s transformation into a
sporting powerhouse are the country’s large number of sports lovers and
efficient investment. The country strives to find promising young athletes,
train them efficiently, and help them build their skills by accumulating a
wealth of experience in domestic competitions. There are also
professional sporting facilities dedicated solely to the training of athletes
selected for international events such as the Olympic Games or the Asian
Games.
2. Soccer is one of Korea’s most popular sports. The K League (Korea
Professional Football League) runs from March to November each year,
with fierce competition among 12 regional teams. Enthusiastic cheering by
the Red Devils, the national team’s supporting group, is also a sight to
behold. There are a number of South Korean footballers who have
succeeded on the global stage including Park Ji-sung, who played for
Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min, and Ki
Sung-yueng at Newcastle United.
3. The country’s sports infrastructure is solid and wide-ranging. According to
the 2016 Sports White Paper published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism, there were 115,303 sports clubs with 5,579,640 members,
representing 10.8% of the total population.
4. The Korea Institute of Sport Science (KISS) is leading the scientific
training of national athletes. KISS, formerly the Sports Science Research
Center, has incorporated science and technology into training for various
sports since its foundation. The institute has established a sports science
center composed of some 30 experts with masters and doctoral degrees

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as well as assisted athletes aiming for medals since the Rio Summer
Olympics. In 2011, the country built a new training facility in Jincheon,
Chungcheongbuk-do Province for athletes selected for international
events. With an aim to completely replace the Taereung Training Center,
an expansion project was completed in September 2017. The Jincheon
Training Center can accommodate up to 1,150 athletes in 35 different
sports, which is five times the capacity of the Taereung Training Center.
5. As a mountainous country, South Korea has an ideal environment for
mountain climbers and hikers. There are many mountains near large
cities, enabling city dwellers to enjoy mountain climbing and hiking
conveniently. The country also has many popular rock climbing spots.

CUBA
1. Travelers in search of adventure who've already warmed up on rum,
cigars and all-night salsa dancing won't get bored in Cuba. Hit the highway
on a bike, fish (as well as drink) like Hemingway, hike on guerrilla trails,
jump out of an airplane or rediscover a sunken Spanish shipwreck off the
shimmering south coast.
2. Some adventure activities and things you can enjoy in the country include
Scuba diving, barracuda diving, snorkelling, eco-tourism, nature trails and
hiking routes. There are over 100 hiking and nature trails spread over a
range of landscapes. In addition there’s birdwatching, horseback riding,
biking, spelunking and nature photography. Go mountain climbing,
windsurfing, and mountain trekking to explore Castro’s revolutionary base.
There are wild animal preserves, rainforests, National Parks, sailing and
cruising as well as game bird hunting and sports fishing. There is an
aquarium, a dolphinarium, and jeep tours that include a visit to caves –
alternatively go on a guided walking tour through the cave chambers.
Check out the Cuba wildlife and marine life too. There is also a huge array
of flora and Cuba wildlife and unspoiled eco-systems, as well as excellent
dive sites in Cuba, and a number of UNESCO biosphere and ecological

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reserves and parks. You can go on a seafari excursion (picnic, fishing,
beaches), a farm party, a rumba Saturday, history & culture tours,
architectural walking tours, and take a guided nature centre tour to
experience the rich bird life of Cuba. Also you can have a game of golf,
tour a working tobacco plantation, and cruise through Havana streets in a
vintage car. You can even enrol on a Cuba learning holiday and take
dancing lessons or learn Spanish, or sign up for a summer or winter
course on ballet, Cuba Danza or Folkcuba.
3. Popular sports of Cuba are as follows; Baseball (pelota), Football (soccer),
Basketball, Track & Field, Boxing, and Volleyball. And they have Sporting
Facilities in Cuba; Latin American Stadium (Estadio Latinoamericano) in
Havana, previously El Cerro, near Cojimar (Estadio Panamericano) in
Cojimar, Havana, and the National Institute of Sport, Physical Education
and Recreation (INDER).
4. Hunting is another option. Many hunting reserves are found in Cuba
because many Cubans like to hunt. Most of the game is some sort of bird,
but some foreign animals have been introduced as well. To hunt, one
must obtain a hunting permit.
5. Cuba had by far the strongest Greco-Roman wrestling team in the
Western hemisphere and one of the strongest teams in the world. The
team captured team championship titles numerous times at the Pan
American Wrestling Championships, Pan American Games, Central
American and Caribbean Games. Cuban freestyle wrestling team in its
achievements is second only to the United States national team in the
Americas.

CONCLUSION
South Korea

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South Koreans are avid sports and outdoors enthusiasts. The martial art
taekwondo and the traditional belt-wrestling style called ssirŭm (which is similar to
Japanese sumo and Mongolian wrestling) are widely practiced national sports. South
Korean skaters dominate the short-track speed skating circuit. There are well-supported
professional baseball and football (soccer) leagues, and the “Red Devils,” as fans of the
South Korean World Cup football team are called, are especially well known for their
enthusiastic demonstrations of support. The country’s system of national parks attracts
large numbers of hikers, campers, and skiers. Several events have been of great
importance to South Korea in terms of developing the country’s international sports
reputation. The 1988 Summer Olympic Games at Seoul not only boosted national pride
but also were the catalyst for the construction of many new sports and cultural facilities
and for the enhancement of Korean cultural identity. Another landmark was the
selection in July 2011 of P’yŏngch’ang (Pyeongchang), Kangwŏn province, as the site
of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games; it was the first location in Asia outside Japan to be
chosen to host the Winter Games. Perhaps even more significant was South Korea’s
co-hosting, with Japan, the 2002 World Cup finals. Ten cities in South Korea, including
Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, and Taejŏn, provided venues for about half the games, and the
Korean national team advanced to the semifinal, the first time an Asian country had
achieved that level.

CUBA
Sports in Cuba are generally under the direction of the National Institute of Sports,
Physical Education, and Recreation. They are almost a national obsession, and sports
figures are treated as national heroes. Baseball is the national sport and is widely
played throughout the country, with leagues organized at national and provincial scales.
Fidel Castro himself has been passionately attracted to the sport since his youth.
Baseball was introduced to Cuba in the 19th century, and until 1959 the island provided
the major league clubs of the United States with a constant supply of quality players, a
tradition revived with the defection, over the years, of many of the country’s top baseball
stars, such as Danys Baez and the brothers Orlando and Livan Hernandez. Cuban

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baseball teams have consistently captured gold medals in the Pan American Games
and the Summer Olympic Games.

In various other international competitions, Cubans have also competed strongly with
and often outperformed teams from every American country. At the 2000 Summer
Olympic Games, for example, Cuban athletes won 29 medals. Eliecer Urrutía set a
world mark in the triple jump in 1997, and Javier Sotomayor posted world records in the
high jump in 1988 and 1993. Female athletes have also been outstanding in Cuba, with
world-class teams in track and field as well as in volleyball. The heavyweight boxer
Teófilo Stevenson is representative of another field in which Cubans have consistently
excelled. Sport fishing, especially for blue marlin, has a long tradition, Ernest
Hemingway being one of the enthusiastic participants. More recently, successful
international competitions in sailing, yachting, and powerboat racing have taken place in
Cuba. The government provides opportunities for most Cubans to participate in sports
and recreational programs.

RESOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_South_Korea
http://www.koreanculture.org/korea-information-sports
https://www.anywhere.com/cuba/travel-guide/cuban-culture
https://www.schoolnet.org.za/PILAfrica/en/webs/18355/sports_recreation.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_in_Cuba
https://www.voyagesphotosmanu.com/sport_in_cuba.html

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