Hong Kong pull out the stops to defeat South Korea

Hong Kong opened their account in the Asia Rugby Championship in Incheon on Saturday, defeating South Korea 34-27 in a thrilling contest.Both teams fought hard but it was Hong Kong who stood up when it mattered, with Ben Rimene crossing for the winning try with four minutes remaining.Rimene was one of Hong Kong's best all day and finished with 19 points, while Alex McQueen scored two tries for the victors.Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones said he was pleased with the result, but the team still had mor

More SportsMay 14, 2016

Park Tae-hwan takes Olympic ban appeal to top sports tribunal

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan has taken his appeal against an Olympic ban to the world's top sports tribunal, officials confirmed Saturday.Team GMP, Park's agency, said the swimmer asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for arbitration on April 26 over a Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) rule barring him from competing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.The agency said, however, Park asked the procedure be put on hold two days later, so that he could speak to the KOC one last t

More SportsMay 14, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho blasts two home runs

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins blasted two home runs against the Cleveland Indians on the road Friday (local time).The South Korean slugger ended a four-game hitless drought for his first two-homer game in the majors. He leads the Twins and all American League rookies with nine long balls this season.Batting fifth as a designated hitter at Progressive Field, Park led off the top second with a solo shot off Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin. It put the Twins up 2-0.The Indians tied things up wi

BaseballMay 14, 2016

Injured gymnast submits entry for Olympic trials

Injured South Korean gymnast Yang Hak-seon has registered for the upcoming Olympic trials, though his status remains doubtful, officials said Friday.The Korea Gymnastics Association said Yang submitted his entry for the May 21-22 national team trials in Seoul. The 2012 Olympic champion in the men's vault, however, is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right foot, sustained during practice on March 23.At the time of the injury, KGA officials said rehab would take three to fou

Olympic GamesMay 13, 2016

Banned swimmer Park Tae-hwan to meet with officials over Olympic status

South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan will meet with representatives from the national Olympic committee over his status for this year's Summer Games, a senior sports official has told Yonhap News Agency.Cho Young-ho, secretary-general of the Korean Olympic Committee, on Thursday said Park will visit the KOC's headquarters in Seoul for a meeting at 10 a.m. on May 25.Park's agency, Team GMP, confirmed that Park requested a meeting with the KOC on Tuesday and heard back from the organization about th

Olympic GamesMay 13, 2016

Back from injuries, Pirates' Kang Jung-ho hits ground running

The Pittsburgh Pirates' infielder Kang Jung-ho might have missed more than seven months of action with severe leg injuries, but you wouldn't know it by the way he's been swinging the bat only five games into his 2016 season.The South Korean third baseman belted his third home run of the season Wednesday (local time) in Cincinnnati against the Reds. It was part of his 2-for-3 night, as the Pirates rallied for a 5-4 victory.Kang only made his season debut last Friday, the Pirates' 29th game, and l

BaseballMay 12, 2016

Pirates' Kang Jung-ho belts third homer of season

Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates belted his third home run of the season against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday (local time), in just his fifth game back from serious leg injuries sustained last year.Batting sixth and playing third base, Kang hit a solo shot off right-hander Alfredo Simon in the top of the seventh at Great American Ball Park.Kang's blast cut the Reds' lead to 4-3, and the Pirates rallied to win 5-4 as Kang scored the decisive run in the top of the ninth.Kang went 2-for-3

BaseballMay 12, 2016

Batting cleanup is 'dream come true' for emerging slugger

After five years in the baseball netherworld, Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears is finally enjoying a breakout season.The 27-year-old is batting cleanup for the best team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and leads the team with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in just 67 at-bats across 22 games. The home run and RBI totals are already career highs for Kim, who never played in more than 52 games in any of his five previous seasons. Kim is also slugging at a .910 clip, as 15 of his 26 hits have go

BaseballMay 12, 2016

Veteran southpaw bothered by overuse controversy

For the second straight Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, the Hanwha Eagles' left-hander Kwon Hyuk finds himself on the fine line between dedication and overuse.A year after leading all KBO relievers with a career-high 112 innings, the 14-year pro is at it again. He leads all relievers with 19 appearances, and is second with 23 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.As he did last year, manager Kim Sung-keun, long notorious for working his pitchers into the ground, is using the left-hander in al

BaseballMay 12, 2016

Struggling Korean infielder designated for assignment by Angels

Struggling South Korean infielder Choi Ji-man was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday (local time).The Angels said they moved him off their 40-man roster to make room for pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, recently acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves.Choi, 24, joined the Angels via the Rule 5 Draft in December, after signing a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He spent his first five seasons in the Seattle Mariners' system.Choi made his major league debut th

BaseballMay 12, 2016

Park Tae-hwan not on preliminary nat'l swimming team for Rio 2016

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan didn't make the preliminary South Korean squad for this year's Summer Olympics announced Wednesday, as he remains under a national team ban for his doping history.The Korea Swimming Federation unveiled the preliminary list of 11 male and 11 female swimmers who have a chance to compete at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.Park, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist in the men's 400m freestyle, wasn't on the list because of his recent 18-month doping sus

More SportsMay 11, 2016

Rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae completes gold medal sweep at Asian Championships

South Korean Son Yeon-jae completed a gold medal sweep at the eighth Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Uzbekistan on Tuesday, brightening hopes for her first Olympic medal this summer.Son was crowned the champion in four apparatuses in Tashkent, a day after capturing her third consecutive individual all-around title.She won the gold in ribbon with a new career-high 18.700 points. Sabina Ashirbayeva of Kazakhstan finished second with 18.300 points, followed by Elizaveta Nazarenkova of Uz

More SportsMay 10, 2016

Park Tae-hwan needs motivation to compete: coach

Roh Min-sang, the coach of disgraced former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan, said Tuesday that his pupil is still training, but the lingering uncertainty surrounding the swimmer's status for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games is exerting a negative pull. Park, who recently served an 18-month doping suspension, remains ineligible to make the national team under a controversial rule by the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC). The national Olympic body says athletes who have been suspended for

More SportsMay 10, 2016

In taekwondo, South Korea and Iran are friendly rivals

South Korea is the birthplace of taekwondo and the martial art has become a dominant force in international sports including the Olympics. But if there is an Asian country that can beat South Korea at its own game, it is Iran. Despite Iran's prowess on the arena that make it such a formidable rival, the country is also a friend when it comes to the development of taekwondo with its large number of practitioners and general popularity of the sport. With President Park Geun-hye's landmark three-da

More SportsMay 10, 2016

Rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae wins individual all-around at Asian Championships

South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae won the individual all-around at the eighth Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Uzbekistan, becoming the first athlete to triumph in the event three consecutive times.In Tashkent on Monday (local time), Son earned 73.750 points in total from hoop, ball, ribbon and clubs after two days at the Asian Championships. She beat Elizaveta Nazarenkova of Uzbekistan by 2.3 points to defend her Asian individual all-around title, which she previously claimed

More SportsMay 10, 2016

Two Korean Premier Leaguers boost national team hopes

Two South Korean footballers in the English Premier League (EPL) are boosting the country's hopes for upcoming matches, as they each notched a goal for their clubs over the weekend.Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur and Ki Sung-yueng of Swansea City are pulling their socks up ahead of the EPL season finale, trying to make an impressive finish after struggling most of the season. Their late-season surge is also welcoming news for South Korean men's football team head coach Uli Stielike, who has b

SoccerMay 9, 2016

Two best KBO clubs going in opposite directions in May

With the first week of May in the books in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the top two clubs in the standings are moving in opposite directions.The Doosan Bears, the defending champs, are in first place at 19-10-1 (wins-losses-ties), but they're in the midst of a four-game losing streak. They were swept by the Lotte Giants at home over the weekend, starting the three-game set with back-to-back shutout losses and ending it with a 17-11 drubbing.Breathing down the Bears' neck are the NC Din

BaseballMay 9, 2016

Rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae takes lead at Asian Championships

South Korean rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae ranked first midway through the individual all-around at the eighth Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Uzbekistan, setting herself on course for her third straight title.In Tashkent on Sunday (local time), Son earned 36.750 points combined from the ball and hoop routines to take a one-point lead above Sabina Ashirbayeva of Kazakhstan. Elizaveta Nazarenkova of Uzbekistan was third at 35.500.Other South Koreans, Lee Da-ae (32.500) and Chun Song-e

More SportsMay 9, 2016

Korean Wang Jeung-hun wins on European Tour

South Korean golfer Wang Jeung-hun captured his first European Tour win in Morocco on Sunday (local time) in a sudden-death playoff.Wang defeated Nacho Elvira on the second playoff hole to claim the Trophee Hassan II at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, Morocco, and take home 250,000 euros ($284,890). He also earned a two-year exemption on the European Tour.Wang, 20, is the second South Korean to win on the European Tour in three weeks, after Lee Soo-min, who won the Shenzhen International last

GolfMay 9, 2016