The Korea Herald

Pistorius reps name substance

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ― The substance found in Oscar Pistorius’ bedroom after the shooting death of his girlfriend was identified by his representatives Wednesday as Testis compositum ― an herbal remedy they said is used for “muscle recovery.” A product by that name also is sold as a sexual enhancer.Testis compositum is marketed by some online retailers in both oral and injectable forms as a testosterone booster and sexual performance aid that contains the testicles, heart and embryo of pigs, among

More SportsFeb. 28, 2013

FIFA bans 74 for fixing in Korea, Italy

ZURICH (AP) ― FIFA has banned 74 more officials and players from world soccer for helping fix matches, this time in Italy and South Korea.FIFA says it imposed sanctions on 70 people, including 11 who were banned for life, after a series of cases prosecuted by Italian soccer authorities.FIFA says the charges involved “match-fixing (direct involvement or omission to report match-fixing), illegal betting or corrupt organization (association to commit illicit acts).”Prosecutors in Cremona, Bari and

SoccerFeb. 28, 2013

‘Taiwan appears vulnerable’

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (Yonhap News) ― Taiwan, one of South Korea’s opponents in the first round at the upcoming World Baseball Classic, appears quite vulnerable just days before the start of the tournament, a former South Korean national team manager said Thursday.Kim Kyung-moon, currently the manager of the Korea Baseball Organization club NC Dinos, said South Korea should have little trouble getting past Taiwan when the two countries clash next Tuesday.“I think Taiwan is lacking organization as a t

BaseballFeb. 28, 2013

Beckham makes 1st start as PSG beats Marseille

PARIS (AP) ― David Beckham made his first start for Paris Saint-Germain, which advanced to the French Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 win Wednesday night over rival Marseille.The 37-year-old midfielder made his PSG debut Sunday as a 76th-minute substitute in a 2-0 league win against Marseille. He played until the 86th minute in the cup match, leaving three minutes after receiving a yellow card for a confrontation and argument with Jordan Ayew.“I enjoyed it,” Beckham said. “I felt good. I have been

SoccerFeb. 28, 2013

Beckham makes 1st start as PSG beats Marseille

Big bats down

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (Yonhap News) ― With the opening game of the World Baseball Classic only two days away, South Korea is still waiting for its bats to heat up.South Korea managed just three hits in an embarrassing 1-0 loss to a team of Taiwanese military players in a practice match Wednesday. The performance left manager Ryu Joong-il literally speechless, as he declined to speak to the media afterward.South Korea will begin its quest for its first WBC crown on Saturday against the Netherlands. Au

BaseballFeb. 28, 2013

Maradona appears to have a new girlfriend

Diego Maradona appears to have a new girlfriend. His ex-partner just gave birth to a baby he fathered. And the same ex-partner is also involved in a legal dispute with the Argentine football great‘s ex-wife.In the last few days local media have been awash with news and photos about a new woman in Maradona’s life, who has been identified as 22-year-old Rocio Geraldine Oliva.　Maradona, 52, has declined to confirm the relationship _ but he also hasn‘t denied it. A photo of Maradona holding a poster

SoccerFeb. 28, 2013

FC Seoul dominates, other S. Korean teams falter in Champions League

Defending South Korean football champion FC Seoul enjoyed a dominant victory, while three other South Korean teams were each held to a draw at the top Asian club football competition this week.The 2013 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League kicked off with four K League Classic clubs in group stage action.FC Seoul, the 2012 K League Classic champ, trounced Jiangsu Sainty of China 5-1 in their Group E clash in Seoul on Tuesday, but three other K League Classic sides, Jeonbuk Hyundai

SoccerFeb. 28, 2013

Footballer Lee Chun-soo seeks respect from younger teammates

Lee Chun-soo, a controversial footballer recently granted approval to return to the top South Korean professional league, said Wednesday he’d like to earn respect from his teammates.Lee, 31, has joined Incheon United in the K League Classic. He had previously been on the league’s banned list following his abrupt departure from another team in the league, Chunnam Dragons, in 2009. He needed Chunnam’s permission to play in South Korea again, and the team gave him the go-ahead last week and traded

SoccerFeb. 27, 2013

Footballer Lee Chun-soo seeks respect from younger teammates

Del Potro, Djokovic advance in Dubai

DUBAI (AP) ― Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points Tuesday to get past Marcos Baghdatis 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) and reach the second round of the Dubai Championships, while Michael Llodra upset eighth-ranked Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets.Top ranked Novak Djokovic, looking for his fourth Dubai title, had a much easier time against good friend and fellow Serb Viktor Troicki, beating him 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour.Del Potro, who reached the quarterfinals in Marseille and won his 14th ti

More SportsFeb. 27, 2013

Knights riding high again

As the 2012-2013 season of the Korean Basketball League draws to a close, the Seoul SK Knights are eyeing their first-ever regular season title, being a heartbeat away from making the transition to a championship caliber team from a perennial doormat.Before losing on Tuesday to Anyang KGC Kites 66-58, the Knights had cruised to 11 consecutive wins, the most in the team’s history. Their home-court winning streak of 19 is the longest in KBL history.With a record of 38-8, Seoul has a commanding lea

More SportsFeb. 27, 2013

U.S.-born golfer Michelle Wie relinquishes S. Korean citizenship: officials

Michelle Wie, an LPGA Tour golfer born in the United States to South Korean parents, has recently relinquished her Korean citizenship, officials said Wednesday.According to the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Wie, 23, was granted permission by the Ministry of Justice to renounce her Korean citizenship as of Feb. 21.According to officials, foreign natives who hold dual citizenship may abandon their Korean nationality only if they're residing overseas at the moment.Wie, whose Korea

GolfFeb. 27, 2013

Ronaldo leads Madrid past Barca to make Copa final

BARCELONA (AP) ― Cristiano Ronaldo got the better of Lionel Messi on Tuesday, scoring twice to lead Real Madrid to a 3-1 win at Barcelona and a spot in the Copa del Rey final.After the first leg of their semifinal ended 1-1, Madrid neutralized Barcelona’s passing game and counterattacked to perfection at the Camp Nou to hand its archrival its first home loss in any competition since last April.It was also a second straight cup setback for the Catalan club, which is running away with the Spanish

SoccerFeb. 27, 2013

Ronaldo leads Madrid past Barca to make Copa final

Park In-bee climbs to third in golf rankings

South Korean golfer Park In-bee climbed to No. 3 in the world after an improbable victory last weekend.Park moved up a spot to trade places with Stacy Lewis of the U.S. at No. 3 in the latest women’s world rankings released Tuesday.Park, the 2012 LPGA Tour money winner, captured the Honda LPGA Thailand last Sunday for her first win of this season. She fired a five-under 67 in the final round with six birdies and a bogey.Ariya Jutanugarn, a Thai teenager, blew a two-shot lead over Park on the par

GolfFeb. 26, 2013

Park In-bee climbs to third in golf rankings

FIFA extends bans to 58 in fixing cases

ZURICH (AP) ― FIFA has given worldwide bans to 58 soccer players and officials found guilty in Chinese match-fixing cases.FIFA says it expelled 33 people from the game for life and 25 others will serve five-year bans for involvement in “domestic match-fixing and bribery.”All those banned were previously sanctioned by the Chinese soccer association. Life bans were imposed on referee Lu Jun, who officiated two 2002 World Cup matches, and four former Chinese national team players: Shen Si, Qi Hong,

SoccerFeb. 26, 2013

Fresh beginnings

It has a new structure, a new logo and a new name, but South Korea’s first-division soccer league will kick off the 2013 season this weekend with familiar faces as the title favorites.The K League Classic, formerly called the K-League, will celebrate the 30th anniversary of professional football in the country this year. FC Seoul, the defending champion, will host the reigning FA Cup winner Pohang Steelers in one of three opening matches on Saturday. Four more matches will follow on Sunday. For

SoccerFeb. 26, 2013

Four Korean clubs start AFC Champions League

Four South Korean teams will start their campaigns at Asia’s premier club competition this week, looking to sustain the country’s recent dominance at the annual tournament.FC Seoul, the defending champion of the first-division K League Classic, will headline the Korean contingent at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League.The AFC awards Champions League spots to the top three K League Classic clubs from the previous season and to the FA Cup winner. FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and

BaseballFeb. 25, 2013

Korea set to begin quest for WBC crown

South Korea will begin its quest for its first World Baseball Classic championship this week in Taiwan, trying to shake off its underdog label with yet another surprising march through the tournament.Manager Ryu Joong-il will lead the team of 28 players, including 13 pitchers, into Taichung Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan for first round action. South Korea has been paired with Taiwan, Australia and the Netherlands in Pool B of this March 2-19 tournament.South Korea’s opening game will be aga

BaseballFeb. 25, 2013

Kuchar wins Match Play

MARANA, Arizona (AP) ― Matt Kuchar finally put Hunter Mahan in a hole and then answered every challenge Sunday to win the Match Play Championship.Mahan had gone 169 holes over 11 matches without trailing in this wild tournament until Kuchar won the fourth hole of their championship match with a par, and Mahan never caught up. Kuchar took advantage of a series of miscues to build a 4-up lead at the turn, and then held off a noble challenge by the defending champion. There was never a dull moment

GolfFeb. 25, 2013

High school girl becomes state wrestling champion

A U.S. high school girl captured an individual wrestling state title on Wednesday, after competing with boys without any advantageous rules. Danielle Coughlin, 18, a senior at North Andover High School in Massachusetts, took part in the 106-pound weight class at the state’s Division II tournament and won the state championship.“I actually like almost cried. That was probably the best moment of my life,” Coughlin told CBS News after the game. “I don’t think of my gender as a disadvantage in any w

More SportsFeb. 25, 2013

High school girl becomes state wrestling champion

Swansea beats Bradford to win first major trophy

After accumulating titles with Europe's biggest clubs as a player, Michael Laudrup reached unexpected heights in his first year as Swansea manager on Sunday by guiding the Welsh club to its first major trophy in its centenary season.In the heaviest victory League Cup final victory, Swansea overwhelmed Bradford 5-0 in front of 82,597 fans at Wembley Stadium to end the northern English club's hopes of becoming the first fourth-tier side to win a major title in Europe.Beating Bradford provided a re

SoccerFeb. 25, 2013