Athletes for Tokyo Olympics to be vaccinated starting this week

Athletes set to participate in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will receive COVID-19 vaccines starting this week, the national sporting committee said Tuesday. Around 100 athletes and coaches will get Pfizer's vaccines as the first recipient group on Thursday, and around 500 others will be inoculated by May 4, according to the Korea Sport and Olympic Committee. About 330 officials and training partners, who are also to take part in the summer games, will be vaccinated in May and

Olympic GamesApril 27, 2021

S. Korean pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong joins Texas Rangers' MLB roster

South Korean left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong of the Texas Rangers has made his Major League Baseball debut on the day he joined the team's big league roster. Yang took the mound as a relief pitcher for the first time in a major league game against the Los Angeles Angels at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Monday (US time), relieving starter Jordan Lyles, who allowed seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. The southpaw made 66 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits, with one

BaseballApril 27, 2021

Son Heung-min's career-high 15th goal results in Tottenham's 2-1 victory over Southampton

Tottenham Hotspur's striker Son Heung-min has scored his career-high 15th goal in a Premier League season In a Premier League match against Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time), the South Korean star netted a goal from the penalty spot in added time to give his team a 2-1 victory. It is Son's 15th goal of the 2020-2021 Premier League season, breaking his previous personal best total of 14 set in the 2016-2017 season. Son placed fourth in the league's to

SoccerApril 22, 2021

MSI preview: 11 teams heading to Iceland; VCS unable to attend once again

With paiN Gaming winning the Brazil league finals Monday, all 12 teams heading to the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational have been locked in. However, Riot Games announced Tuesday that the Vietnamese Championship Series will not be participating due to COVID-19 restrictions. “We explored numerous solutions that would allow the VCS team to compete in Iceland, but we were unable to find a way to make this happen. We are deeply disappointed to have to continue without one of our most

More SportsApril 20, 2021

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun allows 3 runs in 3 innings in his 2021 season debut

St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun took a no-decision in his long-awaited season debut. The left-hander started the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Saturday (US time), giving up three earned runs on five hits and one walk in three innings. It was his belated first start as the sophomore southpaw began the 2021 season on the injured list due to a back injury after making some rough starts during spring training. On Saturday,

BaseballApril 18, 2021

[Photo News] Athletes break a sweat as countdown to Tokyo Olympics begins

With the Tokyo Olympics kicking off in less than 100 days, athletes are buckling down for intense training at the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province, in the hopes of winning medals.  According to Gracenote, a US sports data analysis company, South Korea is projected to finish 10th overall at the upcoming Olympics with nine gold medals. To reach this goal, athletes from various disciplines are making their best efforts despite the uncertainties of COVID-19. 

Olympic GamesApril 17, 2021

Rising taekwondo star chases S. Korea's 1st medal at Tokyo Olympics

JINCHEON -- Given that South Korea is the birthplace of taekwondo, it'd be easy to assume the country would simply bulldoze the competition at the Olympic Games. South Korea does lead the all-time taekwondo medal table with 12 gold medals, but the country has been far from dominant in recent years. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, South Korea grabbed two out of eight gold medals, with five other countries also claiming at least a gold. South Korea understands parity in international taekwo

Olympic GamesApril 15, 2021

Olympic veteran believes fencing team can live up to hype in Tokyo

JINCHEON -- Fencing at the Olympic Games has long been the domain of European countries, but pesky and scrappy underdogs from South Korea have come on strong of late. South Korea's major breakthrough came at the 2012 London Olympics, where it captured two gold, one silver and three bronze medals, trailing only Italy in both the gold medal and the total medal tallies. Medals came from all three disciplines, too, with a silver and a bronze in epee, two bronze medals in foil and two gold medals in

Olympic GamesApril 15, 2021

S. Korea projected to win 9 gold medals, rank 10th at Tokyo Olympics

South Korea is projected to capture nine gold medals to finish 10th overall at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, a US sports data analysis firm said Thursday. The latest version of the Virtual Medal Table by Gracenote, updated Wednesday with the countdown to the Tokyo Games reaching 100 days, also projected South Korea to add 10 silver and six bronze medals. Gracenote, which updates its medal projections in the leadup to the Olympic Games, didn't offer a sport-by-sport breakdown. In its previous e

Olympic GamesApril 15, 2021

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin rides cutter to impressive win over Yankees

When he's on top of his game, few pitchers in baseball can be as effective and beguiling as Ryu Hyun-jin. The Toronto Blue Jays' ace put on a pitching clinic in picking up his first win of the season against the New York Yankees at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Tuesday (local time). Ryu gave up a run -- unearned -- in 6 2/3 innings against his old nemesis, keeping them off balance all game, with an array of well-located fastballs setting up excellent secondary pitches. The left-hander, n

BaseballApril 14, 2021

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin sharp vs. Yankees for 1st win of season

Three starts into the 2021 season, Ryu Hyun-jin finally has a win for the Toronto Blue Jays. The South Korean left-hander limited the New York Yankees to a run on four hits in 6 2/3 strong innings, helping the Jays to a 7-3 victory at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Tuesday (local time). He struck out seven and walked one. The lone Yankees run off Ryu was unearned, as it came following a throwing error by third baseman Cavan Biggio in the seventh inning. Ryu is now 1-1 for the season and

BaseballApril 14, 2021

Cardinals' pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun to make season debut on weekend

St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun will make his long-awaited 2021 season debut on the weekend. The left-hander will face the Philadelphia Phillies on the road on Saturday (local time), St. Louis manager Mike Shildt announced prior to Tuesday's home game against the Washington Nationals. The first pitch will be 4:05 p.m. Saturday in Philadelphia, and 5:05 a.m. Sunday in South Korea. Kim missed a couple of weeks in March with back tightness, after some rough starts to his

BaseballApril 14, 2021

S. Korea blow lead vs. China to miss out on Olympic women's football tournament

The Olympic dream for the South Korean women's football team crashed and burned on Tuesday, as they frittered away a two-goal lead against China in the final qualifying match. South Korea and China played to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their playoff for the Tokyo Olympics at Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre in Suzhou, China. Following their 2-1 victory in the first leg last Thursday, China advanced to the Tokyo Olympics on a 4-3 edge in the aggregate score. With the away goals rule in effect,

Olympic GamesApril 13, 2021

Spurs to take action after Korean star Son racially abused

Tottenham Hotspur are to take action after Korean star Son Heung-min was subjected to "abhorrent racist abuse" on social media following Sunday's 3-1 defeat by Manchester United. Son is the second Spurs player in as many matches to suffer such abuse following Davinson Sanchez after the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Apr. 4. Son scored Spurs's goal but was involved in a controversial incident when he went down clutching his face after contact with Scott McTominay. That resulted i

SoccerApril 12, 2021

DWG Kia stomps Gen.G to win LCK Spring, heads to MSI

Defending champion DWG Kia swept Gen.G Esports 3-0 in the League of Legends Champions Korea Finals on Saturday to secure a ticket to the Mid-Season Invitational in May and win prize money of 200 million won ($178,000). Although DWG Kia was the clear favorite leading up to the finals, the fact that Gen.G Esports and DWG Kia both swept their quarterfinals opponents 3-0 had raised expectations for a closely contested final. However, the 2020 LCK Summer champion and world champion dominated the ga

More SportsApril 12, 2021

Tottenham's Son Heung-min ties Premier League career high with 14th goal of season

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has equaled his career high for goals in a Premier League season. The South Korean star netted his 14th goal of the campaign in a3-1 loss to Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday (local time). Son's 40th-minute goal, set up by Lucas Moura, put Tottenham ahead 1-0, but Man United rallied with three unanswered goals for the victory. This was Son's first goal in the league since Feb. 7 against West Bromwich Albion. With 14 goals, Son

SoccerApril 12, 2021

Cloud of uncertainty remains as countdown to Tokyo Olympics nears 100 days

The countdown to the Tokyo Olympic Summer Games will reach 100 days Wednesday, if the competition opens as scheduled, that is. The 32nd edition of the Summer Olympics already got postponed by one year due to the global coronavirus pandemic, and the normally quadrennial event, now scheduled for July 23-Aug. 8 in the Japanese capital, will open in an odd-numbered year for the first time. Even as the clock ticks down to the opening ceremony, the cloud of uncertainty still hangs over Tokyo. The CO

Olympic GamesApril 11, 2021

K League contenders looking to create two-horse race for 3rd straight year

They've dominated South Korean club football for the past two years. And Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the K League 1 champions in both seasons, and Ulsan Hyundai FC, runners-up both times, are trying to turn the 2021 season into yet another two-horse race. Jeonbuk are sitting pretty atop the tables thanks to an eight-match undefeated run to open the season. With 20 points from six wins and two draws, Jeonbuk are three points ahead of Ulsan (five wins, two draws and one loss). Below Ulsan are three

SoccerApril 9, 2021

Choo Shin-soo belts 1st homer in KBO

After hitting 218 home runs over 16 years in the majors, Choo Shin-soo has now homered for the first time in South Korea. The new outfielders for the SSG Landers launched a solo home run off Hanwha Eagles' starter Nick Kingham in the bottom of the third inning of their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season game on Thursday. The no-doubter traveled 115 meters into right field seats at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. That one swing took care of a lot

BaseballApril 8, 2021

Women's football coach says Olympic dream not over yet despite loss to China

One loss, however crushing it may be, won't end South Korea's dream of playing in the women's football tournament at this year's Tokyo Olympics, head coach Colin Bell said Thursday. Bell's charges lost to China 2-1 in the opening leg of the Olympic women's football qualifying playoffs at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul. Wang Shuang's 73rd-minute penalty was the difference in a hard-fought contest. Down by one goal in the aggregate score and by two in away goals, South Korea f

SoccerApril 8, 2021