Sports briefs

BASEBALL

Lotte Giants allow Son to play in the Major League

The Lotte Giants selected right fielder Son Ah-seop over third baseman Hwang Jae-gyun to receive the first opportunity to play in the Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Busan-based club said on Sunday it decided to allow Son to play in the big league through the posting system and will request the Korea Baseball Organization for the posting once the Korean Series is completed.

Both Son and Hwang declared that they want to play in the MLB after this season. In the KBO, those who play sevens seasons can sign with an overseas club through the posting system.

However, since the KBO allows only one player from each team to go overseas per year, the Giants were forced to choose between Son and Hwang.

The Giants said that they evaluated both players’ performance in last five seasons, individual titles, salary and national team selections, eventually picking Son as the winner.

Son, 27, has marked a batting average above .300 for six straight years. The four-time Golden Glove winner has a career batting average of .323, 413 RBIs, .398 on-base percentage and .462 slugging percentage in his 853 games in the KBO.

Hwang, 28, has not marked a batting average above .300 in the last five years, and didn’t won the Golden Glove during that period.

However, the Giants said Hwang can get the posting opportunity if Son fails to find a team willing to take him.

HANDBALL

Women’s team earns spot in the 2016 Summer Games

The Korean women’s hand ball team, led by coach Lim Young-chul, has booked their berth to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janiero after beating host Japan at the Asian qualification tournament for the Olympics.

At the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan, Korea defeated Japan 35-21 on Sunday to collect its fourth straight victory in the qualification tournament where five nations, including China, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, competed.

The women’s handball team will be making its ninth-straight Summer Games appearance, starting with the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

The team took home Olympic gold in 1988 and 1992. It also won silver in 1984, 1996 and 2004.

Meanwhile, the men’s team begins its qualification tournament next month in Qatar.