Korea Into 2nd Stage of Handball Worlds
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South Korean men's handball team has always been put aside behind the women's squad.
While the women's team, a two-time Olympic champion, starred in a movie and often appeared in other television programs, media exposure of the Korean men, who are not as competitive on the international stage, has been limited.
But the men's side has finally made bombshell headlines as it has advanced to the second round of the world championship after edging powerhouse Spain 24-23.
In its final and must-win qualifier of Group B in Split, Croatia Thursday, Oh Yun-suk and Lee Jae-woo combined for 11 goals to lift South Korea into the next stage for the first time in the championship since 2001.
The up swinging Choi Tae-sup's side, on a three-game winning streak after dropping the first two matches, earned six points to join Croatia and Sweden in advancing from the pool, while Spain, which needed only a tie, was knocked out of the biennial competition.
The victory means a first defeat of the Europeans, the 2005 world champions and Beijing Olympic bronze medallists, in their nine international meetings.
``It's our greatest victory,'' South Korea manager Choi Tae-sup said.
``For the first time ever, we defeated Spain. It will be written in history.''
The Asian side, whose best achievement was a quarterfinal berth in 1997, will move to Zagreb and face Group A finalists Slovakia, France and Hungary in the 12-team second round.
Midway through the first half, the South Koreans, trailing 10-7, tied the game on a bunch of goals on Oh, Yu Dong-geun and Sim Jae-bok along with goalie Kang Il-koo's solid save.
But setbacks in goal attempts allowed the Spaniards to extend the lead again, eventually finishing the first period with Korea down 15-14.
In the second half, Oh's goal tied it at 15 and both sides had a hard-fought match.
At 26th minute with the score tied at 22-22, Oh fired a go-ahead, mid-range shot into the net and added a game-winning point, while the opponents, the third best in scores in the tournament, was held scoreless in the final six minutes until Reixach Canellas finally found the target.
``I cannot imagine anything right now. I was benched midway through the second half to save my stamina,'' Oh said after the game.
``As soon as I found a hole in Spain's defense, I blasted a shot. I am really happy (to help the team reach the second round).''
