April 25 Sports Club

4.25

Full name	April 25 Sports Club 4.25체육단
Nickname(s)	425 (사이오), 4.25 (사점이오)
Founded	July 1949
Ground	Yanggakdo Stadium, Pyongyang
Capacity	30,000
League	DPR RI 2013
2011	1st
Home colours Away colours

April 25 Sports Club (Chosŏn'gŭl: 4.25체육단; Hanja: 4.25體育團) or April 25 Sports Team, known as 4.25 or April Twenty-Five is a multi-sports club in North Korea.

April 25 Sports Club has one of the most successful football clubs in the country with over 10 wins in the DPR Korea League Cup. The club's name of April 25 comes from Military Foundation Day and the club belongs to the Korean People's Army.^[1]

April 25 Sports Club's rival is Pyongyang City Sports Club.

Football

Jang Il-ok playing in April 25 Sports Club attire at the 2007 Military World Games

Achievements

• DPR Korea League: 15

1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015

• Republican Championship: 3

2001, 2006, 2011

Performance in AFC competitions

Asian Club Championship

• 1987 – Qualifying stage
• 1988 – Qualifying stage
• 1989 – Group stage
• 1991 – Fourth place
• 1992 – Group stage

Asia record

April 25 Asia tournament record
Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home/Neutral	Away	Aggregate
1986	Asian Club Championship	1QR		Liaoning	0–0	0–1	0–1
1987	Asian Club Championship	QR Group 5		August 1st	2–0
		QR Group 5		Hap Kuan	2–1
1988–89	Asian Club Championship	QR Group 6		South China	3–0
		QR Group 6		Wa Seng	4–0
		QR Group 6		Guangdong Wanbao	1–0
		QR Group 6		Yamaha Motors	3–1
		1/2 Group B		Mohammedan	0–1
		1/2 Group B		Al-Sadd	1–2
		1/2 Group B		Al-Ettifaq	1–1
		1/2 Group B		Pahang FA	2–0
1990–91	Asian Club Championship	QR Group 7		Nissan Yokohama	1–0
		QR Group 7		Liaoning	1–0
		GS Group B		Esteghlal Tehran	1–2
		GS Group B		Mohammedan	0–0
		GS Group B		Bangkok Bank	4–3
		Semi-Final		Liaoning	0–3
		Third Place		Pelita Jaya	2–2 (6–7 PSO)
1991	Asian Club Championship	1QR		Liaoning	3–1	1–0	4–1
		GS Group B		Al-Hilal	2–0
		GS Group B		Esteghlal Tehran	1–1

Current squad

As of 9 December 2015

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Ri Kwang-Il GK Kim Chol-Nam GK Son Chol-Ryong DF Han Song-Chol DF Nam Song-Chol DF Kang Il-Nam DF Ri Pae-Hun DF Min Hyo-Song DF Jang Kum-Nam DF Kim Yong-Saeng DF Ri Myong-Sam DF Ji Yun-Nam MF Sim Hyon-Jin MF So Hyon-Uk MF O Hyok-Chol MF Han Song-Hyok

No. Position Player MF Ri Hyong-Jin MF Jo Kwang-Myong MF Ji Yun-Nam MF Mun In-Guk MF Hong Yong-Jo FW Kim Kwang-Hyok FW Pak Chol-Min FW Kim Kum-Il FW Kye Song-Hyok FW Om Chol-Song FW Choe Chol-Man FW So Jong-Hyok FW Pak Song-chol FW Kim Yu-Song FW Kim Chol-Jae FW Hong Kum-Song

Other sports

Basketball

April 25 has fielded a basketball team. In May 2015, they came to Mongolia to assist in training the Mongolian national team as preparation of the latter's campaign at the 2013 East Asian Basketball Championship.^[2]

Volleyball

April 25 is also known to organize a women's volleyball team. April 25 participated at the 2015 VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup, an invitational tournament in Vietnam. The North Korean club won the bronze medal defeating Vietnamese side, VTV Bình Điền Long An. Their player, Jong Jin Sim was named Most Value Player of the tournament.^[3]April 25 also has a men's volleyball team.^[4]

Achievements

• VTV Bình Điền Cup: 1

Champions - 2015

• VTV International Women's Volleyball Cup: 2

Champions - 2008

Third place - 2015

References

1. Watts, Jonathan (20 June 2010). "World Cup 2010: Why North Korea are in a league of their own". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
2. "North Korean "April 25" Basketball Team to assist Mongolia's national team". infoMongolia.com. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
3. Hoang Quynh (31 March 2015). "North Korea's 4.25 dethrones Lien Viet at volleyball championship". Thanh Nien News. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
4. "Winners of "Spring Best" Open Volleyball Tournament". infoMongolia.com. 3 March 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2015.

External links

• Kim Jong-il (1972): "On the Tasks Facing the April 25 Sports Team". KFA.