Chambumo Gyeong - 441. CENE and Atletico Sorocaba
True Parents see soccer as significant for realizing world peace because it is a sport that excites the entire world. On April 4,2000, they acquired the Centro Esportivo Nova Esperania (CENE) and the Sorocoba soccer teams in Brazil, the land of soccer. The Sorocoba team, which was founded on February 2, 1991, later achieved acclaim with its elevation to Brazil's Division One. The CENE soccer team, founded on December 15, 1999, in Jardim, also runs soccer teams for children. 7 In Brazil, soccer has as much influence as any corporation. When Brazilian teams play soccer, the whole country is enthusiastic. Moreover, all 33 nations of Latin America get excited, as if they were one country. Who could beat such a huge country? Brazil's most powerful teams are world famous. But to form a professional soccer team in Brazil is as hard as reaching the stars.
What would have happened if I had not entered into the Brazilian soccer world when I did? After that, Brazil passed a law prohibiting any foreigner from joining the Brazilian soccer association and establishing a soccer team. Why was that? It was because I started teams. They worried that other foreigners also would come and problems would arise. They have been in a privileged position doing business in the world at large, yet if a foreigner came to Brazil and did so, it could cause trouble. That is why they passed a law to forbid it. Now, I am the only foreigner who has a soccer team in Brazil. (391-143, 2002/08/21) 8 I have been managing the CENE and Sorocaba soccer teams in Brazil, and this recently gave rise to some issues. They were wondering how I could do it so suddenly within a year's time. In Brazil, soccer is king; it is more profitable than any industry or commercial business. So when I invested in CENE and Sorocaba, it attracted enormous attention. Their soccer world went on high alert. Soccer became a way to connect them to our cultural festival. (354-122, 2001/09/19)
9 If we became the kings of soccer, what would we do next? We would have to create a nation. There are 33 nations in Latin America, yet who can bind those countries together? If it can be done centered on Pele, it should be done that way. Sports is the fastest way to unite the world, since it is able to engage the world and transcend nations. The Olympic Games and soccer have gained great significance. That is why I emphasize soccer.
It became an issue in Brazil that I now run the Sorocaba and CENE teams. Heaven will help us though. If we rise up but are not aligned with Heaven, we will fall down right after we climb up. We are not doing this in order to make money. If, by connecting the North and the South and uniting the earth's seven continents through soccer, and thereby devoting ourselves in front of Heaven even more than the United States does, then we will surpass the United States. If an international confederation connected through sports were offered to Heaven, the athletes would inherit the mainstream thought of their nation. (387-284, 2002/07/24) |