On the 13th of April 2014, the IPYG (International Peace Youth Group) hosted the victory cup for peace

It is a recurring theme for IPYG to organize sports and cultural events to help others and to promote positive premises, using the passion that sports provide and the opportunities that arise to meet others and make new friendships.

On the 13th of April 2014, the IPYG (International Peace Youth Group) hosted the victory cup for peace in Thailand.

This cup as the name says, was held with the idea of reaching to the Thai community and giving them some support, letting them know that others are aware of their situation and that it is important to the outside world.

The small tournament took place in Busan University's football pitch and did not only involve football but also had a relay race and a dance performance by the IPYG.

The participating teams in the cup were BMT FC A and BMT FC B (the BMT FC team was split into two teams), Sasang FC and Thai FC which were both Thailand teams.

In the early morning the day had actually been very rainy, which caused some delays to the event, however the weather improved greatly later on and everyone was able to enjoy a great time.

Opening match: BMT FC A 3 – Sasang Fc 1

The opening match was between BMT FC A and Sasang FC.
From the very start the Titans were more calm than their opponents who seemed to be a little nervous, this gave the Titans a great advantage which let them display some very nice team plays and overall superiority.

Very early on the game Titan's striker Will scored a lovely goal after a wonderful team play that had been created by a sequence of perfect passing between the BMT FC.

A couple of minutes later Sasang FC was able to tie the match through a mid distance volley kick
 by one of their midfielders, this ball made a strange curve which caught BMT FC's keeper Meu off pace and thus ended inside the goal.

However the BMT FC bounced back after just a few minutes, finding the net again through a nice individual play by midfielder Ross Davies, who shot into the net from a very narrow angle inside the box.

Before the first half was over BMT FC's Will once again scored a nice goal by running through the defense and surprising everyone with an unexpected finish.

The second half was dominated by the Titans but there were no goals scored.

The game ended 3‐1 in favor of BMT FC, but it could have had more goals as there were plenty of scoring opportunities for the Titans throughout the game.Sasang FC on the other hand only had two shots on goal however they made a good effort and showed their friendly spirit at the end of the match when they greeted the BMT FC.

Second match: BMT FC B 1 – Thai FC 0

The second match was betweenBMT FC B (which had a few first time players in the roster) and Thai FC, this match was fast paced although there was only one goal the overall match was very dynamic. The only goal was scored byBMT FC's Irish striker Denis, there were other opportunities for goalscoring that couldn't be finished well by bad luck.

Although the B team had a few new players who were there for the first time, the team actually played quite well starting with a strong defense led by Danilo and a generally balanced team.

Third place match: Sasang FC 1 – Thai FC 0

The two losing teams played a match for the third spot in the tournament, Sasang FC beat Thai FC only by one goal difference which was scored in the final minutes of the match.

Relay race

Before the final match of the tournament, a small relay race was held, this was a nice opportunity for fast runners to try their speed against each other.
The relay race has become a small tradition that provides variety and some additional fun to IPYG events.

Dance performance by IPYG

While the  sides were preparing for the final match, one final part of the event took place, a dance performance by the mBMT FC members of IPYG, followed by some group photos and group fun. As this took place the sky had cleared and the sun was shinning, this way the final game was going to be held under ideal conditions.

Final match: BMT FC A 2 – BMT FC B 1

The final was disputed by BMT FC A and B.
Before the match began, putting usual team members against each other, BMT FC B's witch doctor Bonga passed by every player of the BMT FC A lineup placing a temporary African spell to lower their skill, this however did not have such a great effect as in the end BMT FC A would take the cup.

The first goal was scored after another appearance by Will, who was very effective in both matches, however BMT FC B managed to tie the game through Denis, who had also scored on the first match for his side.

The game was very even as Danilo would stop the A team's attacks on most occasions and the A team's mid field would cut most attacks from the B side.

The tie was broken finally through a powerful attack by Timur, who rocketed the ball into the net from the side.

A few extra chances for both teams were created but the end result was 2‐1. BMT FC A and B were once more a whole team, taking the Victory cup home.

The organization was good, although the weather conditions in the morning and some other factors caused some unwanted delays, which made the games shorter than originally intended, however overall everyone enjoyed the experience and all the members of IPYG who helped to organize and manage the event should be commended and appreciated for their hard work and good will.

As with every time that IPYG organizes events, the day was celebrated with a lot of fun and healthy competition. In the end everyone got together to greet one another, happy to having had an opportunity to enjoy the day and make new friends.

A lot of IPYG　members continued the fun for a little while longer, going out for food together after the event had ended.
Everyone ended the day hoping to enjoy more days like that.

Rescuers ramp up search for hundreds missing in ferry disaster

JINDO/SEOUL, South Korea, April 18 (Yonhap) -- Rescue workers stepped up their search Friday for hundreds still missing in the deadly sinking of a ferry off the southwestern coast of South Korea amid growing fears no survivors remain.

Hundreds of coast guard and military officers, along with civilian divers, struggled to gain access to the submerged ship to search for 268 passengers who are still unaccounted for, but their efforts were hampered by strong currents and murky waters.

A total of 475 passengers, including 325 high schoolers on a field trip, were aboard the 6,825-ton ferry when it capsized in waters off the southwestern island of Jindo on a foggy Wednesday morning. It was en route to the southern resort island of Jeju from the western port of Incheon.

As of 5 p.m., 28 passengers had been confirmed dead. While 179 have been rescued, no one has been found alive since around Wednesday noon when the ship capsized.

Search-and-rescue operations are under way in waters off South Korea's southwestern town of Jindo on April 18, 2014, to search for hundreds of missing passengers in the ferry Sewol that sank two days earlier. (Yonhap) 

Battling strong underwater currents and low visibility, a group of veteran divers attempted to enter the submerged hull after they secured a path inside, according to the Coast Guard.

The 21 divers attempted to enter the cabin on the second deck of the five-level vessel where most of the passengers are believed to be trapped, the Coast Guard officials said.

Earlier in the day, the divers approached the cargo compartment on the second deck and pumped oxygen inside in an effort to get the ship to float and help potential survivors breathe.

But the guide line helping rescue workers move inside snapped, while cargo prevented them from going into the compartment.

Experts say that people could possibly survive for up to 72 hours if there are air pockets in the compartments.

At around noon, the capsized ship disappeared completely from sight, stoking fears that the ship went under which would make it difficult for rescue workers to have access to the hull.

To keep it afloat, military divers attached an air-filled bag to the ship and is planning to attach 25 more 35-ton ones, according to the authorities.

Four salvage cranes, including a 3,200-ton machine, also arrived at the scene earlier in the day, either to move the hull, currently at a depth of about 35 meters, to a place where the currents are weaker or to salvage the vessel.

"But we are reviewing the options very carefully, as the salvage operations could hurt survivors trapped inside," a Coast Guard officer said. "We are also considering using a floating dock to set the ship afloat."

With questioning of the surviving crew under way to find the exact cause of the tragedy, a joint police and prosecution team said that it has sought an arrest warrant for Sewol's captain Lee Jun-seok on charges of abandoning ship in violation of seafarers' law.

The investigation team alleged that the 69-year-old captain had failed to carry out his duty of taking care of passengers by leaving the vessel first.

A public uproar has erupted against Lee for his alleged poor management of the emergency situation before the boat's sinking. He is suspected of instructing passengers to remain seated even as the boat was listing leftward, denying them a chance to escape.

Arrest warrants were also sought against two crew members, including a 26-year-old third mate with one year of experience, for the same charge, officers said.

The crew member, only identified by her surname Park, was allegedly in charge of steering the vessel at the time of the accident, they said.

A district court is scheduled to hold a hearing within 48 hours to decide whether to issue the warrants for the three.

As to the cause of the tragedy, a sudden shift in cargo may have contributed to the deadly outcome, according to the investigators.

"We've seen no problems where the ship changed course. But we are now investigating if it was a normal turn or an emergency one," said Park Jae-uk, chief investigator of the joint team, announcing their interim probe results earlier in the day.

Experts and investigators have raised the possibility of a sudden shift in 180 vehicles and 1,157 tons of freight on board disrupting the balance of the ship.

Police also vowed stern punishment of those who spread false information on the developments in the rescue efforts and whoever masterminded phone-based financial frauds that deceived people into thinking they were receiving the latest information on the rescue.

Meanwhile, the vice principal of the school, who was in charge of the hundreds of high school students and survived the disaster, was found dead in an apparent suicide.

The senior teacher from Danwon High School in Ansan, south of Seoul, identified by his surname Kang, 52, was found hanging from a tree on a hill near an indoor gymnasium on the island of Jindo, where parents of the students missing from the sunken ferry are staying.

Of those rescued, 100, including 69 high schoolers, have been receiving treatment at hospitals. Six of them sustained serious injuries, and many of the survivors suffer from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

Earlier on Friday, families of those missing made a public statement denouncing the government's response and calling for additional help.

The office of Prime Minister Chung Hong-won said he will stay at the Coast Guard office in the southern coastal city of Mokpo near the accident scene to coordinate rescue operations and necessary support measures for victims and their families.

The sinking is feared to be the nation's biggest ferry disaster since 1993, when a vessel capsized off its west coast, killing 292 people.

The ship, which travels between Incheon and Jeju twice a week, was built in Japan in 1994. The 20-year-old vessel is 146 meters long and 22 meters wide, and has a maximum capacity of 921 people, 180 vehicles and 152 shipping containers at the same time.

source: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2014/04/18/10/0301000000AEN20140418007051315F.html

please....please..... I pray of them.