DISABLED DRONE SOCCER TEAM “CHALLENGE”

[Anchor Lead]

A team of developmentally disabled players in Yanggu, Gangwon-do Province is stepping up to face a great challenge through drone soccer. This is the story of a drone soccer team called "Challenge."

[Pkg]

Drones placed inside soccer ball-shaped shells hover in the air. When one races toward a circular goal post... other drones try to block it.

[Soundbite] (DRONE SOCCER TEAM COACH) : "Back away and come to the half line!"

While some were busy attacking and defending the goal post. One drone passes through the round goal post, turning it red.

[Soundbite] "Nicely done!"

The drone operators are members of "Challenge," a drone football team made up of eight men with developmental disabilities. Drone football provides a rare opportunity for the members in their 20s and 30s to socialize.

[Soundbite] LIM CHEOL-HO(HEAD, YANGGU-GUN COUNTY DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SUPPORT CENTER) : "Young people with developmental disabilities can go to school or can be cared for by their parents. But grownups with such disabilities have no social venues for interaction."

It's been merely two weeks since they started training. There's no lack of commitment, but they apparently still have a long way to go.

[Soundbite] (DRONE SOCCER TEAM COACH) : "See, it's broken. Did you hear the cracking sound?"

They practice again and again, but the virtual drones keep flying into walls.

[Soundbite] (DRONE SOCCER TEAM COACH) : "Okay, go forward. No, that's your left. I said, go straight."

Yet they can't stop rising up to the challenge.

[Soundbite] HWANG SEOK-KWON(CAPTAIN, DRONE SOCCER TEAM "CHALLENGE") : "We're getting better day by day. So we want to keep practicing until we can enter a competition."

The first testing ground for the "Challenge" team is the national competition slated for later this month. They all dream of becoming expert drone operators and surprising the world together.