Multicultural Mothers' Basketball Team Finds Joy Beyond Wins and Losses

There is a basketball team where laughter rings out louder than the sound of a bouncing ball. Even when they fail to score, even when they lose every game, the gymnasium is always filled with lively energy. Their nationalities, languages and backgrounds are all different, but the sport of basketball has made them all one team. This is the story of 4WD 2 Global Mothers, a multicultural mothers' basketball team run by the Korea Basketball Development Institute.

Chun Soo-gil, 65, head coach of the 4WD 2 Global Mothers basketball team, met with Seoul Economic Daily recently at the gymnasium of the Yongsan-gu Culture and Sports Center in Seoul. "Mothers from multicultural families are laughing together and gaining vitality and great strength in their lives in Korea through the sport of basketball," he said. "There were games where we couldn't score a single basket, but our players are happy just to play together. Regardless of wins or losses, I hope this bright and pure atmosphere continues for a long time."

The 4WD 2 Global Mothers basketball team was founded in October 2024 with support from 4WD 2 Foundation, a U.S. charity organization. The team consists of 25 mother players from 12 countries, including Russia, Mexico, Iran, Cambodia, China and Japan, with an average age of 45. Most team members are so active in the team's activities that they gather every Thursday at 10 a.m. to train together for about two hours. They mainly compete in community sports tournaments. They lost both group preliminary games at the recent 19th Gwangjin-gu Basketball Association Chairman's Cup, bringing the team's all-time record to 0-10.

"This year, I really want to let my players feel what it's like to win," Chun said. "Their skills have improved noticeably through tidal flat physical training in Seosan this February and joint training with an elementary school team. If possible, I will make sure they taste the thrill of their first win within this year," he said, expressing his ambition.

Mei Mei, 43, the team captain from China who is married to a Korean husband and has three children, said, "When I settled in Korea more than 10 years ago, my Korean was poor and it was so hard to adjust." She smiled and added, "After joining the basketball team and starting to play, my stress was relieved and I became more active, gaining great confidence in my daily life." She stressed, "We haven't won yet, but this is a truly precious team to me, where mothers from multicultural families can gather like this and even share Korean culture."

Lee Su-min, 34, a naturalized member from Cambodia, has been settled in Korea for 11 years after marrying her Korean husband. "Before joining the basketball team, I mostly stayed at home, but when I come here, we share life information with each other, such as which hospitals are good for the children and which educational institutions are good," she said. "Still, my goal this year is to win at least one game. We lost the recent game by seven points. There were injured players, and everyone really prepared hard, so it was all the more disappointing. I really want to win one game this year," she said emphatically.

Strong supporters have also joined their beautiful challenge. SK Telecom is supporting the team this year as part of an awareness campaign targeting migrant women. Since late April, it has dispatched two coaches, including the head youth coach of SK Knights and a coach, to conduct position-specific lessons and skill training for two months. Recently, the professional basketball team SK's players, including head coach Jeon Hee-chul and mixed-race player Eddie Daniel, conducted a special lesson in person. A tournament for the team is also planned for the 11th of next month.

A sweet reward is also on the line. The 4WD 2 Foundation has promised a Southeast Asia training camp if the team achieves its first win since its founding, and an invitational tour to the United States if it wins a tournament.