GRAND OPENING OF 2015 ASIAN YOUTH FOOTBALL FESTA IN KOREA

GRAND OPENING OF 2015 ASIAN YOUTH FOOTBALL FESTA IN KOREA

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Opening of 2015 Asian Youth Football Festa on 7th August   has been very exciting & interesting in Anseong Sports Complex, Anseong city Republic of Korea. 15 countries of Asia are participating in this mega event from 7th to 9th August 2015. India is being represented by  Greenwood School of Nagaland. India is participating for the first time since beginning of the Festa  in 2013.

               

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Anseong city of Korea  is known as "City of Masters" and also "Safety Castle". It is famous for brassware works and arts & crafts. Surrounded by hills full of greenery, the city is quite neat & clean, beautiful and above all pollution-free and almost two hours drive from Incheon International Airport - World's best Airport, World's cleanest Airport & World's best international transit Airport.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

The fundamental mantra  of the Festa is "Play Together Dream Forever", harmonizing football & culture. Football Festa is football+ Camping+ Culture Experience. Every youth from 15 different countries of Asia who participates in this Festa plays a football together. Games which are intended to enhance strength and to build upright character. Each team is to play 4 matches. 

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

The Opening Day started with  friendly football  match between FC Seoul Star Teams vs Former Korean National Football Players Team. March Past by the participating countries followed by  Opening & Welcome speeches, followed by introduction of the officials representing different countries. It was followed by  brilliant traditional performances by Namsadang &  modern performances by Brass Band which rent in the air of Anseong Sports Complex Main Stadium enthralling the crowd mostly the youth coming from different countries.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Namsadang literally the' all- male vagabond clown theatre',     is a Korean itinerant or migratory troupe which consists of male performers who present various performing arts such as singing, dancing, acrobatics and playing like circus. Later a few female members were accepted to join the group. Six performances which the troupe performs are collectively called Namsadang Nori. Nori refers to game, play or performance in Korean.

Namsadang nori includes:
a. Pungmul nori - Korean spinning hat dance
b. Beona nori     - Spinning hoops & dishes
c. Salpan            -  Tumbling 
d. Eoreum          - Tightrope dancing
e. Deotboegi       - Mask dance drama
f. Deolmi            - Puppet play
All the six Nori are associated with each other and integrate various activities such as acrobatics, music, feat stunt, play, dance  and mask dance. Namsadang is inscribed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

There are several Namsadang but the one whose base was set in Anseong was the most famous. They were called Namsadang because originally the troupe was composed of only men and 'nam' means a male in Korean. Namsadang Nori  also carried an important social message. Through satire, these performances raised issues of the oppression of the lower classes as well as women in a male dominated society and also on behalf of those with no political voice and manifested ideals of  equality and freedom, sustaining and inspiring the poor. 

A Brass Band is a musical ensemble normally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section.