Sports diplomacy between Korea and Libya has been resumed through the first joint training in two years since the start of the 2014 Libyan Civil War brought Korea-Libya sports diplomacy to a halt. A group of 11 Libyan table tennis players train together with Korean counterparts in Korea until Dec. 20.
Korea-Libya relations have been revived through table tennis.
An 11-member Libyan table tennis team visited Korea on Dec. 7 to undertake joint training with Korean middle and high school players which will continue until Dec. 20.
Since 1975, the countries enjoyed interaction through sports by sending Korean coaches to Libya and inviting Libyan players to train in Korea. In 2014, with the outbreak of the Libyan Civil War and subsequent deterioration of public order, Korean coaches were forced to withdraw. Korea-Libya sports diplomacy came to a halt.
The latest joint training initiative has led to the restoration of broken ties. The Korean Embassy in Libya maintained contact with the Libyan Table Tennis Association and Olympic committee, so as to lay the foundation for the restoration of sports diplomacy through table tennis cooperation between the two countries. Their persistence over the past two years has paid off as the two governments have agreed to send Libyan players to Korea for this joint exercise.
“This joint training will serve to normalize relations between Korea and Libya,” said an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “We will continue to carry out sports diplomacy with Tripoli, in an effort to improve our diplomatic ties with the country.”
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Danyang-gun County
jiae5853@korea.kr
