PEACE CUP USA
WINTER 2025
“I realized deeply that football was more than just a sport where we kick a ball around. Football is a means shared by all people in the world for creating world peace.”
- Pele -
ACTIVITIES
Peace Cup USA 2025, held January 2-5, was a spirited sports and cultural festival hosting esports, running, futsal, volleyball, basketball, pickleball, and jokgu tournaments focused on sports, athleticism, and reconciliation in the community.
‘LIGHT THE WAY’ CULTURAL FESTIVAL
The highlight of Peace Cup 2025 was the “Light the Way” culture festival that featured an opening message delivered by Denthew Learey, president of Youth & Students for Peace, a panel discussion between Bishop Noel Jones, Senior Pastor of the City of Refuge LA, Derek Fisher, former NBA basketball player, and Cobi Jones, former MLS player, and a 100 Voice Choir led by Blinky Williams, Motown and gospel singer.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Derek Fisher
“For me as a young person much of my identity was built around how well I was doing in my sport. As you start becoming of age, you start to learn that that’s not how you’re viewed by God, by in faith and spirit, that’s now how you’re viewed. Whether you scored 80 points or 8 points, you’re still loved the same and that’s a hard thing for young athletes today to grasp.”
”We're much more capable of things than we give ourselves credit for and we just have to believe. And this is also where faith comes back in is that you literally have to believe in something that you cannot yet see and you can take that into sports as well.”
Cobi Jones
“Sports is microcosm of life. You can come together and find a way to come to a common goal and work together, things tend to work out, that’s what I found out through years of playing sports.”
”In general, what wer’re here for is bringing people together and through that one common theme, be it soccer, be it basketball, be it music and entertainment, you bring them together and that’s where it can all start.”
Bishop Noel Jones
“One of the things that is very important as it relates to relationships and that is you can't influence where there is no association in order for you to influence. Anyone there has to be an association and what sports does is it brings that association and for most people who operate within the parameters of sports, they understand what the goal is and that goal is to win.”
“If peace is what we're after, then we have to come together and understand not only our differences and similarities and when it comes to bringing faith in it, mankind is spiritual if he opens up to the spirit and spirituality is not limited by physicality by race and creed because all of us have a spiritual connection to each other whether we want to believe it or not. And basically when we believe God, regardless of your religion, God becomes a central piece to all of us and that means Unity because God is so much one from a Christian point of view that if you get involved with him, He eliminates differences.”
OPENING CEREMONY
The four-day sports tournament and festival commenced with a powerful opening ceremony with impactful music and fun activities, sharing the purpose and vision of Peace Cup USA.
SPORTS TOURNAMENT
"[Sports have] the power to become a force for harmony between countries, races, religions, and cultures. I see [sports] and peace among countries as powerful partners.”
— Co-Founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon
JOKGU
Peace Cup USA has also brought Jokgu into the tournament this year!
What is Jokgu?
Jokgu (족구) is a popular Korean sport that combines elements of soccer and volleyball. It is played with a small ball and involves kicking and heading the ball over a net.
As a part of our vision, our goal is to host Peace Cup in North Korea and bring North and South to reunify through sports. As the first step to fulfilling this goal, we worked with the president of the Jogku Association in Los Angeles, Dr. Jason Oh. Dr. Jason Oh brought a few of his Jogku teams to Peace Cup, and taught many of our athletes how to play Jogku.
VOLLEYBALL
Congratulations to the team ‘Bang Bang Bang’ for claiming first place in the volleyball tournament 2025! Team ‘LV Surf’ and team ‘East Coast’ came close in second and third place!
BASKETBALL
Congratulations to the team ‘DTX’ for claiming first place in the basketball tournament 2025! Team ‘City of Roses’ and team ‘Boston’ came close in second and third place!
The games between each team were very competitive, especially the final game. However, it was also beautiful to see because every athlete played for a higher and greater cause, not for themselves. In the game, athletes are very competitive and there were intense moments; however, at the end we witnessed them embracing one another as brothers. It is heart-warming to see people coming together through sports, no matter the differences.
FUTSAL
Congratulations to the team ‘ChiLA’ for claiming first place in the basketball tournament 2025! Team ‘Goal Diggers’ and team ‘VSC United’ came close in second and third place!
Our vision is to create a peaceful world through sports, culture, and arts. We encourage our athletes to play with a sense of unity in community to break down barriers and divisions between people in the world, and we were able to witness it here.
PICKLEBALL
Peace Cup USA brought pickleball into the tournament this year! Congratulations to the team ‘West Coast’ for claiming first place in the pickleball tournament 2025!
We got to witness some new talents this year, and we are excited to expand and grow more each year!
COMPETITION
E-SPORTS
1600M RACE
"Everything can be resolved based on love by living for the sake of others. We can conclude that by living based on true love and for the sake of others, we can restore the world of hell into the heavenly world.” by Co-Founder, Rev. Sun Myung Moon
We had a 1600M race around the LA Galaxy Park. This was not just a race, but for a much bigger purpose. We had runners of all ages running for peace and unity, specifically for the reunification of North and South Korea.
