15년만의 통일농구경기 개최... 코트 위에서 하나된 남북 농구선수들…가슴엔 '평화•번영'<br /><br /> From teaming up for table tennis championships and walking hand in hand in the Winter Olympics.<br />Sports played a crucial role in improving Seoul and Pyongyang's relations and instill a sense of unity.<br />This time, the two sides are shooting hoops to get to know each other better.<br />Won Jung-hwan starts us off with day 2 of inter-Korean basketball friendlies.<br /> <br /> It's day two of the Unification Basketball Games in Pyongyang.<br />On Thursday, South and North Korea are competing against each other -- unlike Wednesday, when the teams were a mix of South and North Korean players.<br />But the South and North Korean teams are not labeled as "South" or "North."<br />They're distinguished by color only -- one in red and the other in blue.<br />No national flags or anthems are being used either.<br /><br />The first games on Wednesday at Pyongyang's Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium... drew some 12-thousand spectators.<br /><br /> Those teams were made up of players from both sides of the border.<br />One was named "Peace" and wore white,... while the other was named "Prosperity" and wore green.<br />In the women's game,… Prosperity won 103-to-102. <br />Despite the loss, North Korean player Ri Jung-ok, who scored 28 points for the team Peace, expressed her excitement after the game. <br /><br /> <br />"I am delighted to have participated in the Inter-Korean basketball tournament organized by high-level officials from North and South Korea. The cheers from spectators were a big boost as well,... and I feel that by passing the ball to each other during the game, we have become one. <br /><br /> The men's game ended in a draw, with both teams scoring 102 points.<br />The coach of South Korea's national men's team, who led team Peace, was at the same arena as a player... 15 years ago.<br />The latest games, he says, have left a big impression on him.<br /><br /> <br />"I feel proud of seeing our players getting along well with the North Korean players. I think today's game will stay with me forever.<br />At first, they played casually and gave each other some room. But when the score tightened up, it was really nice to see them getting into it. I'll have a lot of memories from this game."<br /><br /> Despite speculation that he would come, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un -- who's known for his love of basketball -- did not attend Wednesday's games, and it's not expected that he'll be at Thursdays either because his schedule is taking him away from Pyongyang.<br /> But it's been two days full of harmony and reconciliation between the two Koreas -- players from South and North on the same teams... and in friendly competition.<br />Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News. <br />
