Sports Briefs
'NK's game-sharing suggestion can be reviewed'
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Choi Moon-soon
Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon said Monday that he may consider splitting some events of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games with North Korea.
The governor told Yonhap News Agency that he could discuss on splitting some events that do not necessarily require expensive venues, such as snowboard freestyle, stressing that negotiations with the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) and IOC should come first.
“North Korean IOC member Chang Ung has suggested splitting up the PyeongChang Games. Although it is physically impossible, I feel that it is necessary that we should consider the North’s proposal in a symbolical sense,” Choi said.
Earlier, Choi had staunchly opposed the idea of sharing the events, which followed the IOC's reform package allowing cities to stage some events outside a hosting country. “It is against national sentiment to move some of the events to other countries, including Japan, at this point," he said in December.
Both POCOG and President Park Geun-hye ruled out any possibilities of sharing the event.
Choi stressed that “whether the North will join or not is not important” and “since there is no route to discuss this with the North, we will study whether we can officially suggest the central government to include this issue on the official agenda for inter-Korean talks in accordance with the situation between the two Koreas.”
U-18 football team draws 1-1 with Finland
South Korea's U-18 national men's football team was held to 1-1 draw against Finland in a tournament opening game in Russia, Monday.
During the Group E match at the Peterburgsky SCC in Saint-Petersburg, the Koreans allowed an early lead after conceding in the 14th minute, but managed to level the game with an 89th-minute equalizer by Kim Dae-won.
The U-18 side is led by newly-appointed coach An Ik-soo and joined the Valentin Granatkin Memorial International Youth Tournament to prepare for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup which will be staged in Korea.
“Finland proved to be a very creative team on the pitch. If we can take this creativity and add to it our technical skills -- it will be a very interesting experience,” An told the official website of the tournament. “Our players showed their character and did not give up till the very end, that was the fact I liked most of all,” he added.
A total of 18 teams from 15 countries, including the host, Japan and Greece will compete in the tournament. South Korea is paired in Group E with Finland and the Moscow Football Federation team.
Jeong Da-rae announces retirement
Jeong Da-rae
Jeong Da-rae, an Asian Games gold medalist swimmer, 24, has announced her retirement, local media reported Monday.
“I have decided to retire as I reached the conclusion that I don’t have competitiveness as an athlete anymore,” Jeong told the Yonhap News Agency.
Jeong rose to stardom after winning a gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke event at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, but has been in a long slump since then due to a series of injuries to her right knee, waist and left shoulder.
Jeong will set up her own swimming clinic in Ahyeon-dong, Seoul, to educate young swimmers.
Kang ranked 12th among 30 MLB shortstops
Kang Jung-ho
The U.S.-based sports news site SB Nation ranked Korean baseball player Kang Jung-ho 12th in their top 30 Major League Baseball’s (MLB) shortstops, Sunday.
The American news site reported that Kang is ranked 12th “due to the power potential.” The writer added “PNC Park (home stadium for the Pittsburgh Pirates) may limit that to some degree, but I am willing to take a chance and rank him at 12 rather than my initial ranking of around the 20 range.”
The 27-year-old played in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for nine years, recording a batting average of .298 and 139 home runs in 3,070 at bats.
His KBO team Nexen Heroes loaned Kang to MLB this offseason and the Pittsburgh Pirates won the bidding rights for Kang last month with $5,002,015.
Kang has to reach an agreement with the Pirates no later than Jan. 20.