Sports Briefs

OLYMPICS

Pocog announces ticket prices for Paralympics

The organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games on Wednesday announced the ticket prices for the multisport competition for disabled athletes, with the average price reaching 30,000 won ($26).

The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (Pocog) said a total of 280,000 tickets will be on sale. The organizers expect to generate 4.2 billion won from ticket sales, with 70 percent of them sold in Korea.

Pocog said tickets for snow sports - alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboard and biathlon - will be sold at 16,000 won, while prices for ice hockey and wheelchair curling matches will range from 10,000 won to 50,000 won depending on the tournament stage.

The price of tickets to the opening ceremony will range from 30,000 won to 140,000 won, but the closing ceremony is cheaper, priced between 10,000 won and 70,000 won.

The organizers said half of the tickets are under 30,000 won, and those who are disabled, national veterans and residents of host cities can purchase tickets at a 50 percent discount. However, some premier seats for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the ice hockey final, will be excluded from the discount benefits.

Ticket holders will be able to use the shuttle for free during the Paralympic Games. The organizers said that tickets will be sold on Pocog’s official website starting Aug. 21. Starting November, people will be able to purchase tickets at major airports and train stations, they added.

PyeongChang, an alpine resort town some 180 kilometers (112 miles)east of Seoul in Gangwon Province, will be the main host for the country’s first Winter Paralympics from March 9 to 18 next year. The event follows the Winter Olympics that will be staged from Feb. 9 to 25.

FOOTBALL

Baek will visit Japanese club to apologize for violence

A Korean defender will visit a Japanese football club later this week to apologize for his violent actions during the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League match last month, his club said Wednesday.

Jeju United said Baek Dong-gyu will visit Urawa Red Diamonds to personally apologize to Yuki Abe, whom he elbowed during a melee in the AFC Champions Leagued round of 16 second leg at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan, last Wednesday.

“Baek wanted to meet Abe in person to apologize,” a Jeju official said. “He will be on vacation from today, and he is set to visit Japan in the near future.”

With Jeju trailing 3-0, Baek rushed off his bench to the other side of the pitch to take down Urawa captain Abe at the end of extra time. The 26-year-old center back, an unused substitute in the match, was ejected for his actions and has been criticized heavily by football fans.

“Baek apparently thought his teammates were hit by Urawa players, so he threw an elbow,” the official said. “Baek was in agony after he realized that the family of the player he struck was at the stadium.”

Yonhap