All knockout matches at Asia's top club football tournament this year will be played over one leg in centralized venues, the sport's continental governing body announced Monday, citing the need to minimize traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said it has rescheduled knockout matches at its signature club tournament, AFC Champions League, from the home-and-away format to single-leg ties. The round of 16 matches were already set to be one-and-done affair

Having been paired with four Middle Eastern nations in the final World Cup qualifying round, South Korea will likely have to deal with some frustrating time-wasting antics. In Group A of the final Asian qualification stage for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, South Korea will take on Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syria and Lebanon. Those countries are particularly famous for resorting to moves to kill the clock if they have a lead, including feigning injuries and taking their time before

DAEJEON  -- Special limited medals produced to celebrate the distinguished career of Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min went on sale Monday, according to the state-run minting agency. Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp. (KOMSCO) said the medals themed on the 28-year-old striker for Tottenham Hotspur in two designs -- coin and paper money -- are available for purchase on the company's website. KOMSCO said it produced 7,700 units, in reference to S

World No. 2 Ko Jin-young has found the LPGA winner's circle for the first time in 2021. The South Korean star captured the Volunteers of America Classic at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, on Sunday (local time), beating Matilda Castren of Finland by one stroke. Ko shot a final round of 69, with four birdies and two bogeys, for the total of 16-under 268 at the par-71 course. This was Ko's first victory in 11th start this year, and her eighth overall. Ko has now recorded a victory

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles said Sunday they've released their struggling American first baseman Ryon Healy. Healy, a two-time 20-homer man in the majors, batted only .257/.306/.394 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs in 67 games this year, his first season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Among 54 qualified hitters, Healy ranked 43rd in batting average and 53rd in on-base percentage. Healy signed a one-year deal worth up to $1 million, the maximum amount allowed for a f

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min wasn't selected for his country's Olympic football team despite getting permission from his English Premier League club, an informed source said Thursday. Son, 28, was not picked as an overage player for South Korea's under-24 football team for the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday. The Olympic football tournament is typically reserved for players under 23, and the age limit has been raised to 24 for Tokyo because the competition was postponed by o

While preparing his players for the Tokyo Summer Games kicking off this month, Kim Hak-bum, head coach of the South Korean men's Olympic team, ran some grueling conditioning drills across two training camps over the past month or so. Kim wanted to ensure his players would be ready to battle in notoriously scorching and humid summer conditions in Japan. Now that he has finalized his 18-man squad -- many of them having been whipped into shape by the coach -- Kim's focus will shift to more tangibl

The men's football roster at this year's Tokyo Olympics will be expanded from 18 players to 22, the sport's national governing body said Thursday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it received a notification from FIFA late Wednesday announcing the expansion of the squad for the July 23-Aug. 8 Olympics. Teams were originally limited to 18 players, with up to four alternates allowed in case of injuries. Under the change, the four alternates will be part of the full squad, but teams can o

South Korea-based Canadian slugger Jamie Romak will be honored Thursday as the top baseball player from his country for the 2020 season. Romak, first baseman for the SSG Landers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), will receive the 2020 Tip O'Neill Award before a home game against the Samsung Lions at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame presents the award annually to the Canadian player "judged to have excelled in indi

It wasn't the kind of personal record he wanted to break, but Kim Kwang-hyun, the South Korean left-hander for the St. Louis Cardinals, went a career-high 10 starts between victories this year. Kim earned his first win of 2021 on April 23 in his second start of the campaign. Then win No. 2 came against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Wednesday (local time), his 13th start of 2021. Kim held the Diamondbacks to a run on three hits -- all singles -- and three walks in fi

South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo has been knocked out in the second round of Wimbledon. Kwon, ranked 71st, lost a five-set, four-hour battle against Dominik Koepfer at the All England Club in London on Wednesday (local time). The 62nd-ranked German prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-3. Kwon earned his first career victory at Wimbledon on Tuesday with a four-set victory against Daniel Masur, also from Germany. Kwon walked away with 45 ranking points and should crack the top 70 after the c

South Korea is off to a losing start in its bid to qualify for the Olympic men's basketball tournament for the first time in a quarter century. South Korea fell to Venezuela 94-80 in its first game of the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament at Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Wednesday (local time), as its spirited second-half comeback attempt fell short. Davidson forward Lee Hyun-jung led South Korea with a game-high 18 points on a 7-of-14 shooting, and naturalized starting center Ra Gu

French league striker Hwang Ui-jo will lead South Korea's attack in their bid for an Olympic men's football medal in Japan this summer. Hwang was one of 18 players named to the South Korean men's Olympic team Wednesday. Head coach Kim Hak-bum unveiled two goalkeepers, six defenders, five midfielders and five forwards at a press conference in Seoul. The Olympic men's football tournament is typically open to players 23 and younger, but the age limit for the Tokyo Games has been raised to 24 beca

Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong have made a career out of beating Japanese rivals in international women's badminton doubles competitions. And they'd love to have another shot at beating a Japanese tandem for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. Kim and Kong are ranked fifth in the world in women's doubles. South Korea also boasts the No. 4-ranked women's doubles team in Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan. Of all badminton disciplines at the Olympics, South Korea should have its best chance o

It took him two days, but South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo finally has his first victory in the men's singles at Wimbledon. The 71st-ranked Kwon defeated Daniel Masur of Germany 3-1 (6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4) in the opening round match of the Grand Slam tournament in London on Tuesday (local time). Their match began Monday after more than three hours of rain delay and was suspended due to darkness after Masur took the first set in 51 minutes. When the match resumed the following day, Kwon quickly