Sports

Kim Young-gwon named player of year

Guangzhou Evergrande defender Kim Young-gwon, left, and Hyundai Steel Red Angels FC midfielder Jo So-hyun hold Player of the Year trophies they were awarded by the Korea Football Association in themale and female category during a ceremony at Hyochang-dong, Seoul, Wednesday.  / YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooGuangzhou Evergrande defender Kim Young-gwon was named the male Player of the Year by the Korea Football Association, Wednesday, narrowly defeating Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min who’d won the title the two previous years.Hyundai Steel Red Angels FC midfielder Jo So-hyun was awarded the female Player of the Year for her solid performances on the national team and her club.Kim’s triumph came after the national team’s solid defense throughout this year. The Koreans did not yield a goal in 17 out of total 20 A matches this year, with Kim appearing in 14 of them. The 25-year-old spent 1,034 minutes on the field for the national team ― the most among all defenders ― and captained the Taeguk Warriors during their East Asian Cup victory in August. &

Dec 23, 2015

Sports

Plan to unify sports bodies hits snag

By Nam Hyun-woo, Kwon Ji-younThe government’s drive to integrate sports federations has hit a major obstacle, as each association is fiercely opposing the plan for their own vested interests.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism wants to launch a unified sports association in March next year for more effective operations of professional and amateur sports organizations.It plans to integrate the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), the body for "elite" sports federations, with the Korea Council of Sport for All (KCSA), a body overseeing grassroot sports organizations.In November last year, the two major organizations agreed to the integration and to name the unified association the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee.The ministry organized a special committee which held 13 meetings this year.However, the committee, which already had experienced setbacks in organizing and narrowing the differences between the KOC and the KCSA, is having difficulties pushing for integration.On Dec. 16, the sports ministry announced the unified association will have 57 regular member federations, 1

Dec 22, 2015

Sports

Seo hopes for bright future in Korean racing

Professional racing driver Seo Ju-won walks along the track during the 2015 Korea Speed Festival at the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam-gun, South Jeolla Province, on Sept. 26. / Courtesy of Seo Ju-wonBy Kim Jae-heunSeo Ju-won, 21, is the youngest racecar driver in the professional Korean league, but he has marked the most wins this year, becoming the Genesis Coupe 20 champion at the 2015 Korea Speed Festival.His success at an early age follows a tragic accident in 2011. Seo injured his shoulder seriously, which could’ve brought an end to his racing career at 17. But the young driver turned his misfortune into opportunity.“My championship title was almost definite when I got my injury,” said Seo during an interview with The Korea Times last Wednesday. “While going through surgery, I thought that I could never get back on the race track again. But I returned in June in the following year with a cast on my arm and I won the race.”Seo revealed that he watched various European racing videos while he was recovering and he discovered a new braking techn

Dec 22, 2015

Seo hopes for bright future in Korean racing

Sports

Son Yeon-jae shows confidence for Rio Olympics

Son Yeon-jae /YonhapRhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae, 21, is determined to turn in a top performance at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.“I want to show fans how I have improved,” Son said on her arrival at Incheon International Airport Tuesday.Son has been training in Russia with her coach, Elena Nefedova, working on Son’s program and music for the Rio Olympics.Son said her program would be similar to others she had used, but she would focus more on techniques.“I think I can show my emotions more deeply when I thoroughly master the techniques. Practice will make me perfect,” she said.Son chose “Libertango” for her ribbon program for the new season.She won three gold medals at the 2015 Gwangju Universiade in July, but failed to win a medal in ribbon and clubs at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Germany in September. 

Dec 22, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji

Son Yeon-jae shows confidence for Rio Olympics

Sports

2018 PyeongChang Games installations

PyeongChang Olympic Games Organizing Committee President Cho Yang-ho, right, poses with the committee’s Secretary General Yeo Hyung-koo, left, during a ceremony unveiling installations promoting the 2018 Winter Games at Seoul City Hall, Monday./ Courtesy of PyeongChang Olympics Organizing Committee

Dec 21, 2015

Sports

Korean exports to Spain uncommon

Lee Seung-woo, a member of Barcelona’s B team, gestures during a friendly match between Barcelona’s under-15 team and Boin High School played on Feb. 4. YonhapBy John DuerdenIt is only 10 years since Park Ji-sung moved to Manchester United to become the first South Korean to play in England's top tier. There have been 12 others since. None have been as successful as the man who won four Premier League titles but some, like Ki Seung-yueng, did pretty well. Some, such as Park Chu-young, had no impact, while others, like Seol Ki-hyeon, were somewhere in between.For Korean fans, Saturday nights, or Sunday mornings, have become a time to sit around televisions to watch their compatriots shine, star or struggle in the world's most popular league. Many believe Spain's La Liga is the best but, as of yet, no Korean player has done much of note.Korean exports to Spain, widely regarded as the other of the top two leagues in the world, have been much less common. Lee Chun-soo headed to Real Sociedad in 2003 after the 2002 World Cup when the winger was part of the team that reach

Dec 20, 2015

Sports

Test event prep in final stage, says PyeongChang

A snow cannon blasts artificial snow on Jeongseon Alpine Center on Dec. 17, which is scheduled to stage the men’s World Cup downhill and super-G event on Feb. 6-7, the first 2018 PyeongChang Olympics test event. / Courtesy of the PyeongChang Olympics organizing committeeBy Nam Hyun-wooOrganizers of the PyeongChang Olympic Games are confident about hosting the first test event for the 2018 Games in February despite some setbacks.Committee spokesman Sung Baik-you told The Korea Times Sunday that preparations for the test event are in their final stage, stressing that the committee is fully committed to hosting the event as planned.“It is a promise with the rest of the world,” said Sung. “We are aware that there is not much time and various factors caused a small delay to the initial plan, but personnel in Jeongseon are working day and night to meet the Jan. 20 deadline.”The remark came after several International Ski Federation (FIS) officials expressed concern over delays in setting up gondolas and other mandatory facilities in Jeongseon Alpine

Dec 20, 2015

Test event prep in final stage, says PyeongChang

Sports

16살 슈퍼신동 캔디스 힐…미국 여성육상 새시대 여나

불과 16살인 미국 여고생 육상 신동의 프로 전향 소식이 연말 미국 스포츠계를 뜨겁게 달구고 있다고 18일(현지시간) 뉴욕타임스가 전했다.    조지아 주에 사는 16살 캔디스 힐은 최근 프로 전향을 선언했다. 이는 현역 육상 프로 선수로는 최연소에 해당한다.    힐이 최연소로 프로 전향을 할 수 있는 것은 그가 엄청난 대기록을 세운 덕분이다.    힐은 지난 6월 100미터를 10.98초로 주파하며 미국에서 가장 빠른 10대 단거리 선수라는 기록을 세웠다.     이 기록은 당장 올림픽에 나가도 메달권에 진입할 수 있을 정도의 놀라운 수준이다. 힐이 아직 10대라는 점을 감안하면 향후 성장 가능성은 엄청나게 크다.    힐의 프로 전향은 최근 미국 여성 육상계의 활성화와 맞닿아있다.    앨리슨 펠릭스, 메리 케인, 알렉사 에프라임슨 등 미국의 유명 여성 육상 유망주들은 성인이 되기 전인 17&sim;18세에 프로로 전향했다.    스탠퍼드대학 여성 육상 챔피언인 로렌 플레시먼은 "우리는 '여성 운동선수'의 시대를 살고 있다"면서 스포츠 등 각종 교육 활동에서 남녀 차별을 금지한 법률이 제정된 1970년대 이후 여성 스포츠에 꾸준한 투자가 이뤄진 것이 오늘날 여성 체육의 눈부신 성과로 이어졌다고 지적했다.    이에 따라 세인의 시선을 끄는 여성 운동선수들이 적지 않지만 힐은 이 가운데서도 특별한 존재로 받아들여지고 있다고 이 신문은 평가했다.    유명 스포츠용품 업체인 아식스는 힐에게 이례적으로 10년이라는 장기 전속계약을 맺었다. 힐이 어느 대학에 지원하더라도 전액 등록금을 부담하기로 약속했다.    아버지가 항공사 정비사인 중산층 가정 출신인 힐은 고등학교에서도 전교 10등 안에 드는 등 학업에서도 눈부신 성적을 거두고 있어 주변의 기대를 한껏 모으고 있다.    힐은 대학에서 생물학을 전공한 뒤 스포츠의학이나 스포츠언론 분야

Dec 19, 2015

Sports

Hong liberated from 25 years of pressure

Chinese football club Hangzhou Greentown FC posted a welcoming message for new coach Hong Myung-bo on its website, Friday. Hong signed a two-year deal with the Chinese Super League club. / YonhapBy Nam Hyun-wooFormer national team coach Hong Myung-bo is the latest to join the recent China-bound transfer frenzy of Korean coaches, and the move is a new chapter in his football career.  Hong’s scholarship foundation announced Thursday that the 46-year-old has signed a two-year deal with Hangzhou Greentown FC in the China Super League.Speculation had been palpable over Hong’s potential coaching in China or Japan, but he ended it with a brief two-day trip to the Chinese city, saying, “The club’s managing philosophy of placing future prospects over current results hangs together with my football philosophy.”This is the first time Hong will coach a professional club and the Hangzhou job comes as he attempts to free himself from the pressures of coaching the national team.For a long time -- from his national A team debut in 1990 to the resignation from the n

Dec 18, 2015

Hong liberated from 25 years of pressure

Sports

PyeongChang downplays test event concerns

By Nam Hyun-wooThe organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics pledged Thursday their preparations will “stick to plan,” amid rising concerns about whether they can ready venues in time for the first test event to be staged in February.PyeongChang Organizing Committee Secretary General Yeo Hyung-koo told reporters in a briefing, “There have been delays in construction due to weather conditions and administrative processes, but we have put extra manpower and equipment into action in order to stage test events without any setbacks, with construction work continuing for 24 hours a day.”The new secretary general’s remarks came after a number of local media outlets lambasted that the first test event “might be cancelled” due to slow construction progress.Ahead of the PyeongChang Games, to run from Feb. 9 to 25 in 2018, a total of 28 Olympic and Paralympic test events will be held at the Olympic venues. The organizers will put some 50 billion won into the test events, the first of which will be the FIS (International Ski Federation) Alpine W

Dec 17, 2015

Son Heung-min ready to 'give everything and more' in every match

'Gold medal or nothing': nat'l baseball manager sets sight on top prize at Asian Games

Ex-KBO MVP Kim Do-yeong headlines Asian Games baseball roster

Where does Korea sit in 2026 FIFA World Cup kit design rankings?

New Twins pitcher Rios eager to build on strong KBO debut

Sports

Son Heung-min ready to 'give everything and more' in every match

'Gold medal or nothing': nat'l baseball manager sets sight on top prize at Asian Games

Ex-KBO MVP Kim Do-yeong headlines Asian Games baseball roster

Where does Korea sit in 2026 FIFA World Cup kit design rankings?

New Twins pitcher Rios eager to build on strong KBO debut

Read more

Kim Young-gwon named player of year

Plan to unify sports bodies hits snag

Seo hopes for bright future in Korean racing

Son Yeon-jae shows confidence for Rio Olympics

2018 PyeongChang Games installations

Korean exports to Spain uncommon

Test event prep in final stage, says PyeongChang

16살 슈퍼신동 캔디스 힐…미국 여성육상 새시대 여나

Hong liberated from 25 years of pressure

PyeongChang downplays test event concerns

Most Read in Sports