Niigata 5

Looking Back on the World Cup
by Satoru Yoshida, Kobari Junior High School

The World Cup opened with a spectacular ceremony on May 31 and closed on June 30 with Brazil as champions. I believe this World Cup, cohosted by Japan and South Korea, has left behind something that must not be forgotten.

That "something" is not the winning or losing but the exchange between different places, the efforts of the volunteers who worked so hard to make the event a success, and the warm welcome given to foreign teams by the towns and villages that hosted them. We must not forget that there are people around us who worked like this to support the World Cup. I really hope that the World Cup remains like this forever.

The 2006 World Cup is due to take place in Germany. As well as wishing the Japanese team well, I hope that the next tournament is a chance for more exchange between Japan and the world.