SEOUL, South Korea -- In 2011, one of the more popular television series on North Koreas Central Television channel was Our Womens Football Team, a five-part dramatization of the 2006 Under-20 World Cup triumph. After two similar tournament wins in late 2016, it may be time for a sequel or two.On October 30, the womens Under-17 team won the World Cup in Jordan, defeating Japan in a penalty shootout. On December 3, the Under-20 side did the same with a 3-1 victory over France in Papau New Guinea. It makes the country the first to win those tournaments back-to-back and both teams were given a rapturous welcome on their return to Pyongyang.Sport is very important to the regime and always has been and any success goes down very well, Aidan Foster-Carter, long-time Korea watcher and Honorary Fellow at Leeds University, told The Associated Press.This became even more important since Kim Jong Un succeeded his father Kim Jong Il in 2011.Kim Jong Un has been known to be interested in sport and that became even more apparent when the basketball player Dennis Rodman visited the country, added Foster-Carter. Relations with South Korea have been pretty bad but he has sent teams to sporting events that the south has hosted.One of those was the 2014 Asian Games, held in Incheon, near Seoul. Prior to the tournament, Kim visited the womens training camp to deliver a hand-written letter. The team took gold.Talented children are streamed into schools with special programs and then into sporting academies. Successful stars can receive special benefits.Kim gives people he is proud of apartments, and that includes athletes, said Foster-Carter. They are always looking for young talent and female soccer is particularly good.After the latest triumph, Under-20 team coach Hwang Yong-bong was praised for his performance -- described as mysterious and unorthodox and a tactical genius by FIFAs official website -- during the tournament and for his effective use of substitutes to turn games.I make no distinction between my starting XI and my bench. Whenever I make such switches, its always to try to help the team, said Hwang after defeating hosts Papa New Guinea 7-1 in the group stage.North Korea has long been a competitive team in the mens and womens games, but in the past that was chiefly due to stamina and effort. Today, that is allied to a more sophisticated tactics and training as the country now has the means to take in influences from abroad.The North Korean government has also relaxed its isolationist tendencies and allowed young male prospects to play in Europe. Six of the starting eleven that defeated South Korea in the final of the 2014 Asian U-16 tournament had spent time in Italy and Spain.The opening of the Pyongyang International Football School in 2013, built with $800,000 from FIFAs development program, was another landmark development. Of the 200 students who live in at the academy, which invites foreign coaches, 40% are female aged from nine to 15. The girls play in the same teams as the boys for much of the time they are in the academy.Andrei Lankov, a Korean expert and Honorary Fellow at Macquarie University, is not surprised to see such facilities in the country.There is a recognition that they could use foreign consultation and to have more of their players and coaches interact with whats going on elsewhere, said Lankov. Tactics and training methods are always evolving and they know they need to keep abreast of those changes.Their relative isolation is probably more costly at a sub-elite level, where regional schools and things dont have access to the internet and You Tube and other tools. The leadership clearly thinks the benefits outweigh the costs of having few exchanges with the outside world; sports being no exception.The challenge for the triumphant women is to sustain the success up to the senior level and deliver the womens team a first World Cup title. The best showing so far is a quarterfinal spot in 2007 though the team was disqualified for the 2015 edition after two players had failed doping tests at the 2011 tournament.Winning back-to-back youth World Cups is a great start.Its a feat thats never been achieved before, said coach Hwang. Im delighted with our victory, but we cant stop here. We have to keep on working to win more titles.Stitched NFL Jerseys . First off, the fans ripped the Cubbies introduction of a fuzzy new kid-friendly mascot named "Clark". Discount NFL Jerseys . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. http://www.outletnfljerseys.com/ . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line.NEW YORK -- Conor McGregor raised his arms in triumph before he stepped inside the cage, the cocky Irishman playing to a crowd going wild for UFCs greatest champion.McGregor ran a circle around the mat, a victory lap of sorts before he even threw a punch. McGregor packed fans to the Madison Square Garden rafters and drove them into a frenzy as he packed a vicious punch against Eddie Alvarez.McGregor used a brash and brilliant performance to knock out the overwhelmed Alvarez in the second round to win the UFC lightweight title Saturday in the main event of UFC 205 on a record night.He dubbed himself this week the King of New York.Now, hes been crowned a two-class champ.Whats next for me, McGregor bellowed inside the cage.The easy answer: whatever the Notorious one wants.McGregor dominated from the opening bell of the biggest card in UFC history -- on pace to set an MMA pay-per-view record -- and the sold-out crowd of 20,427 loaded with A-listers from Madonna to Hugh Jackman went wild with each punishing blow.McGregor, also UFCs featherweight champ following a 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo, had predicted a fourth-round KO.Unlike UFCs laborious legal fight to reach New York, McGregor wouldnt make anyone wait.UFC has not decided if McGregor (21-3) will be allowed to defend both championships. UFC President Dana White said McGregor could be about the only fighter in the promotion to handle that kind of grueling fight load.Who knows, White said. Im going to let him enjoy his night.McGregor crouched inside the cage waiting for the bell to ring and attack Alvarez (28-5). McGregor was the clear aggressor from the start, dropping Alvarez three times in the first round. Alvarez, of Philadelphia, bounced up the first two times and took a severe beating on the third. McGregor forced Alvarez to fight with his back to the cage and never absorbed a serious strike.The 28-year-old McGregor put his hands behind his back in the second, taunting and toying Alvarez to hit him. McGregor, UFCs biggest box-office star, unloaded a left and ended the fight at 1:52 of the second. McGregor lay waste to a battered Alvarez and brazenly demanded his second UFC championship belt in a speech peppered with profanities.I was literally losing my head in there, he said.McGregor snatched his new lightweight championship belt, paired it with his featherweight title, and UFCs first two-class champion in the promotions history plopped himself on top of the cage and absorbed the scene of his historic night.Ive spent a lot of time slaying everybody in the company, McGregor said.Alvarez is the latest victim on thhe list.ddddddddddddEddie is a warrior, but he shouldnt be in there with me, he said. Im at a different level. Now, I celebrate as champion of two divisions.UFC was live and legal in New York for the first time since an MMA ban was lifted earlier this year.To celebrate, UFC stacked the card with three title fights that set a promotion and MSG gate record with $17.7 million. The 1999 boxing match between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield drew a record $13.5 million.Jesus is going to have to fight the devil to break that record, White said.Tyron Woodley defeated Stephen Thompson via majority draw to retain his welterweight title in a fantastic fight and Joanna Jedrzejczyk successfully defended her UFC womens strawweight championship with a unanimous decision win over Karolina Kowalkiewicz.But the stage belonged to McGregor.McGregor, as he had been all week in New York, was the undisputed star of the card. McGregors fans swathed themselves in Irish flag capes and his countrymen sang Ole, Ole, Ole in the concourse and stands throughout the show.It was obvious the crowd was here to see Conor McGregor, Woodley said.The crowd could not wait one more night to see him.The two-decade ban imposed by New York left only unsanctioned MMA fights in the state. State lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed in April to end the ban following years of failed efforts by supporters. The law authorizing the sport took effect in September, and UFC optimistically already had MSG booked.UFC last ran a major show in the state at UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo on April 7, 1995. UFC, under Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, exploded into a global phenomenon, become a staple on network television and ran PPV cards that hit 1 million buys during the ban. UFC 205 was expected to reach around 1.5 million PPV buys. UFC sold for approximately $4 billion to a group led by Hollywood entertainment conglomerate WME-IMG in July.McGregor told reporters after the fight he wanted an equity stake in UFC.Whoever runs this place now has to come to me and give me my slice, he said. Bring me on board for real. I need to be set for life on this.Tickets at face value and on StubHub only seemed to be selling for as much as UFCs selling price.The fans saw UFC fighters deliver more kicks than the Radio City Rockettes in the 11-fight card.McGregor might need an extra ticket for his next fight: The two-division champ is set to become a first-time father in May.I feel like Im just reaching my prime, he said. ' ' '