"Go Connects the World, Youth Creates the Future" was the theme at the 2023 World Youth Go Forum on December 1 in Quzhou, China.
Chang Hao 9P, Chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association, led off a distinguished array of speakers from around the globe, and said that youth will play an active role in promoting cultural exchanges between Eastern and Western civilizations and building a community of shared future for humanity, reports Stephanie Yin, coach for the U.S. team at the QuZhou International Children Team Tournament, which commenced immediately following the Forum.
Chang Hao challenged the global community to put the promotion of youth Go development in a prominent position, provide more opportunities for youth to come in contact with Go, obtain
quality teaching, and participate in tournaments and training. He expressed his hope that the World Youth Go Forum can continue to grow and provide a foundation to build upon around the world.
The forum included presentations from attendees from around the world on the popularization of the youth Go movement, including AGA VP of Development Stephanie Yin's presentation.
The first round of the tournament began after the Forum, with the U.S. team going 1-2 against Macau, Zixuan Gao of Seattle WA notching the win. In the second round, the U.S. beat Mexico 3-0 and in the third, defeated Croatia 3-0. The U.S. next faces Korea in what’s expected to be a tough match against insei.
-Editing by Gurujeet Khalsa; photos courtesy Stephanie Yin