Sports Briefs

ANTI-DOPING

Korea elected member of World Anti-Doping Agency

Korea has been elected as a member of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The culture ministry announced on Wednesday that after a two-month election process, from September to October, Korea beat Iran to be selected as an Asian representative on the Foundation Board at the world’s top anti-doping body. Korea will sit on the board for three years.

Since the creation of WADA in 1999, Korea served as a board member until 2006. It was then re-elected to the board in 2014. Retaining its membership once more, Korea’s term will now go until 2019.

The Foundation Board of WADA is composed of 38 members. Four spots on the board are held by Asian nations: Korea, Japan, China and Saudi Arabia.

FOOTBALL

Germany’s star scorer, Klose, announces retirement

Miroslav Klose, the leading scorer of the German national football team, has officially retired from the pitch.

It was announced on Tuesday that Klose, a 38-year-old German striker who led his team in the 2014 Brazil World Cup to win the tournament, will retire and join the national team as a coach.

Some Korean football fans might have recollections about the celebrated German striker.

During the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, Klose scored five goals with just headers.

Adding five and four more goals from the 2006 World Cup and 2010 World Cup, he became the top scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup by bagging two more in 2014 World Cup.

All in all, from 2001 to 2014, Klose piled in 71 goals for his country in 137 international matches.

Since 2011, the German footballer has been playing for Lazio, an Italian club. In his career with various clubs from 1998 until his retirement, he tallied 213 goals total.

OLYMPICS

Lee Kee-heung, president of KOC, begins his term

Lee Kee-heung, a newly elected president of the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), officially started his term.

Lee, who served as the president of the Korea Swimming Federation from 2010 to 2016, was inaugurated on Tuesday in a ceremony held in Seoul.

As the new president, Lee will serve the KOC until February 2021, covering the coming PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018 as well as the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

By Choi Hyung-jo