Hiddink’s Fields of Dreams

The children wore thick hair band-shaped protectors on their foreheads to protect against any possible collision. They were only able to locate the ball through sound. To keep the rule, they were blindfolded. When the ball began to roll and make a sound, the children ran for it.

Among the children was Guus Hiddink, world-renowned soccer coach. Holding the hand of a blind child named Yeon Gi-yeong, 11, Hiddink led her toward the ball.

Handong University hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for the 2nd Hiddink Dream Field in Pohang City Wednesday.

Hiddink, who advanced Team Russia to the semifinals of the Euro 2008, attended the function with his fiancée Elizabeth. Hiddink has been building Dream Fields through his charity foundation as a way to instill hope in the minds of children who have disabilities or are from socially disadvantaged families.

The foundation built its first soccer stadium for the deaf in Chungju City last year. Hiddink plans to build a similar stadium for each province in Korea. Next year, a third of its kind will be built in Suwon City.

Hiddink said that his success in the 2002 World Cup motivated him to do something for Korea. He said his fiancée Elizabeth first proposed the idea.

Hwang Jin-wuk, 14, who played soccer with Hiddink on the opening day of the 1st Dream Field, smiled, “Coach Hiddink was a lot bigger than I imagined! I will play my best today, too.”

“You are the angel of love”

Twenty blind students from Daegu and Chungju called Hiddink an “angel of love” in their letter to him.

Although pleased about all the happiness and hope the fields are bringing to children’s lives, Hiddink has no intention of stopping. He said he intends build more fields as soon as possible.

bluesky@donga.com