Pohang fall to Sydney at AFC Champions League

The Pohang Steelers picked up their first loss at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Wednesday after falling 1-0 to Australian club Sydney FC at home.At Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, a port city 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the hosts failed to overcome Sydney midfielder Chris Naumoff's goal in the first half and surrendered the top spot in their group to the Australian club. Sydney, the runner-up in the Australian A-League last season, now have two wins and one loss in Group

SoccerMarch 17, 2016

FC Seoul crushes Shandong to stay undefeated in AFC Champions League

Brazilian striker Carlos Adriano's double led FC Seoul to beat China's Shandong Luneng 4-1 Wednesday as the South Korean club stays undefeated in the Asian Football Confederation Champions League. At Jinan Olympic Sports Centre in Jinan, China, Seoul collected their third straight victory at the AFC Champions League, thanks to a double from their Brazilian striker Adriano. The victory secures Seoul's top rank in Group F.Seoul, the reigning champion of the Korean Football Association Cup, have be

SoccerMarch 17, 2016

U.S. Go chief says emergence of new player AlphaGo 'tantalizing'

The emergence of the computer Go player AlphaGo is "tantalizing" as it showed unheard-of moves and may take humans to a higher level of the ancient board game, the president of the American Go Association said Wednesday.Andrew Okun, president of the New York-based AGA, said he was shocked and saddened to see South Korean Go master Lee Se-dol losing to the artificial intelligence program developed by Google's DeepMind, but that AlphaGo's emergence could end up being good for the game."Among exper

More SportsMarch 17, 2016

FIFA admits to World Cup hosting bribes, asks US for cash

GENEVA (AP) -- While acknowledging for the first time that votes were bought in past World Cup hosting contests, FIFA is seeking to claim ``tens of millions of dollars'' in bribe money seized by U.S. federal prosecutors.FIFA submitted a 22-page claim to the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York on Tuesday that seeks a big share in restitution from more than $190 million already forfeited by soccer and marketing officials who pleaded guilty in the sprawling corruption case.Tens of millions of dollar

SoccerMarch 16, 2016

2018 Winter Games on track, but much to be done: IOC

South Korea's preparations for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang are moving in the right direction, but a "lot of work" remains to be done, an official inspector said Wednesday.The International Olympic Committee in 2011 picked South Korea's northeastern ski resort of Pyeongchang to host the winter games, favouring it over Munich and the French Alpine town of Annecy. But initial preparations were hit by financial problems and construction delays, which at one point saw the IOC float the possi

Olympic GamesMarch 16, 2016

Pohang falls to Sydney at AFC Champions League

SEOUL/POHANG (Yonhap) -- The Pohang Steelers picked up their first loss at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Wednesday after falling 1-0 to Australian club Sydney FC at home.At Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, a port city 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the hosts failed to overcome Sydney midfielder Chris Naumoff's goal in the first half and surrendered the top spot in their group to the Australian club. Sydney, the runner-up in the Australian A-League last season, now have two wi

SoccerMarch 16, 2016

Korean skeleton slider eyes to win more awards

South Korean skeleton slider Yun Sung-bin said Wednesday he wants to be honored frequently in the future as he feels surreal at being in the awards ceremony.Yun was named top rookie athlete at the annual Coca-Cola Sports Awards, which has been honoring amateur athletes in the country since 1995, along with figure skating prodigy You Young. Considering that skeleton has been an almost unknown sport to the public, he was also surprised that he would be a recipient at the awards ceremony. "I hope t

More SportsMarch 16, 2016

Korean bobsleigh tandem still wants to improve

The South Korean bobsleigh tandem said Wednesday despite being No. 1 in the world, they still have things to improve upon if they want to win a medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. At the 21st Coca-Cola Sports Awards, Won Yun-jong and Seo Young-woo were named MVPs for their superb performance last season when they ended as the world's top-ranked two-man bobsleigh team. But the achievement still didn't satisfy the duo. "We know we are No. 1 in world ranking, but we still need to im

More SportsMarch 16, 2016

Korean bobsleigh tandem wins nation's top amateur athlete award

World No. 1 South Korean bobsleigh duo won the grand prize at the nation's amateur athlete award ceremony on Wednesday for their solid performances last season.At the annual Coca-Cola Sports Awards in Seoul, the two-man bobsleigh team of Won Yun-jong and Seo Young-woo were honored with the MVP Award. The award has been given to amateur athletes since 1995.Pilot Won and brakeman Seo ended the 2015-2016 International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation season as the world's No. 1 pair after winning tw

More SportsMarch 16, 2016

SK beats Nexen in first KBO preseason game at new dome

The SK Wyverns defeated the host Nexen Heroes 6-4 in the first Korea Baseball Organization preseason game at the new Gocheok Sky Dome on Tuesday.SK outfielder Kim Kang-min hit a grand slam for the first professional home run at the Seoul-based dome, as the Wyverns rallied from a 2-0 deficit to spoil the party for the Heroes.The Heroes got off to a promising start. Park Dong-won drove in Nexen's first run with a single in the bottom second. And Yoon Suk-min's RBI double to right-center in the bot

BaseballMarch 15, 2016

First-year import sees 'opportunity' on depleted KBO club

hen the Nexen Heroes signed American outfielder Danny Dorn last November, it was with expectations that he would add some pop to a lineup about to part ways with big bats.First baseman Park Byung-ho would leave the Korea Baseball Organization club via posting to sign with the Minnesota Twins in December, after hitting 53 homers in 2015. Outfielder Yoo Han-joon, who set a career high with 23 home runs, left Nexen as a free agent to sign with the KT Wiz three days after Dorn's signing.Their absenc

BaseballMarch 15, 2016

Nexen Heroes enter 1st season at new park with altered game plan

The Nexen Heroes boasted the most potent offense in the Korea Baseball Organization last year, as the league leader in both runs scored and home runs.And as they move into a new, more cavernous stadium, sans some big mashers from recent seasons, the Heroes are approaching the 2016 season with an altered game plan: after launching 203 home runs and scoring 904 runs in 144 games last year, they will stop swinging for the fences and will start trying to manufacture runs.The Seoul-based club will no

BaseballMarch 15, 2016

Hanwha Eagles sign new foreign pitcher

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles announced they signed right-hander Alex Maestri on Tuesday.The Korea Baseball Organization team disclosed the terms of the deal in Japanese yen: Maestri, who'd pitched for the Japanese club Orix Buffaloes the past four seasons, will make 20 million yen ($175,740) in salary and receive 30 million yen in a signing bonus.The native of Cesena, Italy, became the first Italian-born pitcher to be signed by a big league club in 2006, when the Chicago Cubs acq

BaseballMarch 15, 2016

Cards' Oh strikes out Twins' Park in all-Korean showdown

The all-time South Korean saves leader struck out the country's home run king in their first U.S. showdown on Monday.St. Louis Cardinals reliever Oh Seung-hwan and Minnesota Twins designated hitter/first baseman Park Byung-ho faced each other with two outs in the top of the sixth inning at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Oh, the usually stoic pitcher nicknamed "Stone Buddha" for his unflappable nature, flashed a little grin as Park came to the plate. The right-hander then got to work.Oh,

BaseballMarch 15, 2016

Stielike to help both Olympic football team, young star

By excluding one of South Korea's biggest football stars from his roster announced Monday, senior men's national team head coach Uli Stielike actually wants to help the country's football on a much deeper level.For South Korea's squad for the second round Asian qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Lebanon on March 24 and a friendly match in Thailand on March 27, there was a small surprise:Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min was missing. It turns out Stielike's intention was to help

SoccerMarch 14, 2016

Tottenham attacker Son Heung-min off men's national team for March matches

Struggling Tottenham Hotspurs winger Son Heung-min has been left off the South Korean men's national football team for two matches scheduled this month.Son was conspicuous by his absence on the 23-man roster announced Monday by head coach Uli Stielike. On March 24, South Korea will host Lebanon in Group G action in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.South Korea have already clinched the top seed in the group and will advance to the next and final round of the regional

SoccerMarch 14, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo hits safely in 3rd consecutive game

After going hitless in his first seven spring training games, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles has now hit safely in three straight games.The South Korean, batting sixth and playing left field, went 1-for-2 with an RBI against the Minnesota Twins at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida, on Sunday.He drove in the Orioles' third run of the first inning with a sacrifice fly off Minnesota starter Ricky Nolasco.After grounding out to second in the third, Kim hit a two-out single in

BaseballMarch 14, 2016

Newly promoted Suwon FC pick up point in first division debut

Newly promoted football club Suwon FC picked up a point in their first division debut on Sunday.Suwon FC visited the Jeonnam Dragons for their first K League Classic match and came away with a 0-0 draw at Gwangyang Football Stadium in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province.Suwon FC earned a promotion from the second-tier K League Challenge. Though they've lost some key players over the offseason, Suwon held their ground against Jeonnam on the road.Jeonnam were in control early with a trio of imported

SoccerMarch 13, 2016

Korean Choi Min-jeong defends world short track title at home

South Korean short tracker Choi Min-jeong defended her world overall title on home ice Sunday.Choi finished first among all female skaters with 66 points over two days at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Speed Skating Championships at Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul. The points were accumulated over 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m and 3,000 super final races.Marianne St-Gelais of Canada finished second with 63 points, and Elise Christie of Britain ranked third with 47 points.Choi is the fi

More SportsMarch 13, 2016