Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Students from African countries met their Taiwanese counterparts and government officials on the soccer pitch Saturday in a friendly tournament, kicking off a series of events to highlight the upcoming Africa Week and this year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The Africa-Taiwan Economic Forum, consisting of African students and staff from African embassies and representative offices in Taiwan, routed Team MOFA (Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 5-1 in a 30-minute opening match at the National Taiwan University (NTU) outdoor stadium.
It marked the first time the ministry organized a sporting event as part of celebrations for the May 25 Africa Day and Africa Week, which runs from May 26-30, said Samuel Chen, director-general of the MOFA's Department of African Affairs.
Teams of students from Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe -- Taiwan's four diplomatic allies in Africa -- and a mixed team of South African and Nigerian students met local university teams from NTU, Yang Ming University, Taipei Medical University and National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) , in the one-day "Taiwan-Africa Youth Friendship Football Tournament." "Too often we sit in the office and forget to step outside, enjoy sunshine and share time with families and friends, " Njabuliso Gwebu, Ambassador of Swaziland, told participants at the opening ceremony, adding that the tournament is a great opportunity for expats to get together and enjoy the "football fever." Kelson Chimutu, a Ming Chuan University sophomore from Malawi, was an emergency call-up to Team Sao Tome and Principe as the team was short of players.
"Unfortunately soccer is not as popular in Taiwan as baseball and basketball. It's good to have the opportunity to play in a soccer tournament, " said Chimutu, who is studying international trade and plans to establish a business after graduation.
He said he will watch the upcoming World Cup tournament on television even if he has to stay up late for broadcasts due to the time difference between South Africa and Taiwan.
The Malawian, who spoke fluent Mandarin, said he enjoyed almost every aspect of his life in Taiwan -- "except for tofu." Steamed dumplings, known locally as "xiaolongbao, " and bubble milk tea are his favorites, he said.
Mamadi, Ebrima Nijie and Yankuba B., known at NTUT as "the Gambian Musketeers, " played for their school rather than their "national team" in the tournament. They are members of the school's Gambian Information Technology (IT) Elite Program, which now has 25 students.
The IT program and a 25-man civil engineering program are part of plans by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has pledged to establish an "African Silicon Valley" in the country by 2020, said Samantha Wang of NTUT's International Cooperation Section.
A cocktail party celebrating Africa Day will be held May 25 at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, where President Ma Ying-jeou will unveil a weeklong exhibition showcasing Taiwan's humanitarian relief efforts in Africa in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. An Africa Fair will take place May 29-30 at the same location. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc