South Korea’s top sports body said on Wednesday it will ask the government to grant a Canadian-born hockey player Korean citizenship and give him an opportunity to represent his adopted home at a future Winter Olympics here.

The Korean Olympic Committee said it will recommend Brock Radunske to the Ministry of Justice for South Korean citizenship.

Radunske, a native of Kitchener, Canada, has been playing for the Anyang Halla of the Asia League Ice Hockey since 2008.

The team is based in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, about 20 kilometers south of Seoul.

The ALIH features two clubs from South Korea, one from China and four from Japan.

The KOC said it recognized Radunske’s “strong desire” to help South Korea qualify for the men’s hockey competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics at its home in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul.

The KOC also noted that the 29-year-old has made a smooth transition into his life on and off the ice here.

The Anyang Halla won the league titles in 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Radunske, a high-scoring forward, was the regular season MVP in 2008-09 and the playoffs MVP in 2009-10. (Yonhap News)