MOE Opens Football Coach Training Camp Featuring Paraguay Trainers

To promote Taiwan's football sport, MOE is introducing Paraguayan football training and teaching of its tactics and strategy in order to encourage international exchange and absorb international experience. From June 6 through 16, 2007, Paraguay Football Coach Training Camp opens in eastern, southern and central Taiwan, in a bid to raise the level of Taiwan's football coaches.

To help raise the level of Taiwan's football coaches, the embassy of the Republic of Paraguay has appointed four football coaches to teach at the camp. It hopes Paraguay's experience in developing sports can be of some reference to Taiwan's development of the football sport and to help build a bridge of exchange in the development of physical education between Taiwan and Paraguay.

Minister Tu points out that MOE has decided to promote football sport starting from elementary schools. Though in its initial stage with only over 600 teams nationwide, over 500 of them are in elementary schools, an indication football sport has begun developing in elementary schools. Due to lack of resources, advanced football nations' experiences are vital to Taiwan football sport’s development. Since Paraguay's football sport is famous, MOE looks forward to arrival of its football coaches, hoping that they can raise the level of Taiwan's football coaches and footballers.

The four Paraguay football coaches to visit Taiwan are:

1. Gustavo Alcibíades Blaires Ucedo: Specializing in training of physical strength.
2. Ramón Duarte: Specializing in football rules.
3. Julio Vera Torres: Specializing in techniques and training of physical strength.
4. Guido Armoa: Specializing in training techniques and tactics.

In addition to drawing up plans to promote football sport in schools of all levels, MOE has been actively holding football tournaments with certain results. In 2006, 646 teams and 5,733 players participated in 1,249 matches. Among them, 536 teams and 3,216 players were from elementary schools.