INCHEON (Yonhap) ― Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kim Hyeon-woo was on Monday named the flag bearer for South Korea at the opening ceremony for this year’s Asian Games in Incheon.

The Korean Olympic Committee said Kim will carry the national flag at Friday’s opening ceremony for the 17th Asiad, which will go on for 16 days here in the western port city.

The Greco-Roman wrestler is set to compete in the men’s 75 kg class in Incheon. He won the Olympic gold in 2012 in London in the 66 kg division.

He has an Olympic gold, a world championship and an Asian championship to his credit, and an Asiad gold here would complete the rare grand slam of international wrestling titles for the 25-year-old.

Kim was knocked out of the second round at his first Asiad appearance in 2010.


Asiad torch to arrive Wednesday

The torch for the upcoming Asian Games will arrive in the host city of Incheon this week, the event’s organizers said Monday.

The organizing committee for the 17th Asian Games said the torch will reach the west coast port city on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony of the multisport competition.

In an unprecedented development, two separate torches were lit first before they came together in a ceremony in Incheon last month. 


Ticket sales lagging for Asian Games

Ticket sales for this year’s Asian Games in Incheon are lagging, the organizers said Monday, with a major discrepancy between popular events and lesser-known sports.

The organizing committee for the 17th Asian Games said only about 18 percent of the tickets for 36 sports and the opening and closing ceremonies, have been sold through Sunday.

According to the organizers, the men’s swimming races featuring South Korean star Park Tae-hwan, rhythmic gymnastics events with another South Korean athlete, Son Yeon-jae, and baseball games for the host country have already sold out.