Home town honours Man Utd star Park

Manchester United star winger Park Ji-Sung presided Tuesday at a ground-breaking ceremony for a sports complex named after him in his South Korean home city.

The Park Ji-Sung Football Centre in Suweon just south of Seoul will be completed in May next year and offer two playing fields, a clubhouse, a clinic, a museum and a library, city officials said.

The centre plans to run a training programme initially for children aged between six and 13 and later for older players.

“I started playing football and spent most of my youth here,” Park was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.

“I hope that the centre will help many young players grow physically and mentally through football and encourage them to enjoy the sport.”

Hundreds of sports officials, including Chung Mong-Joon, vice president of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), attended the groundbreaking.

Park is one of the country’s biggest sporting stars. A street, a park and a forest are named after the player in and around his home town.

Park, who joined United from PSV Eindhoven four years ago, signed a new two-year contract with United on Friday. The improved deal is reportedly worth 3.6 million pounds (5.9 million dollars).