Sports Briefs

FIGURE SKATING

Choi Da-bin withdraws from regional due to foot injury

Promising figure skater Choi Da-bin has pulled out of an upcoming regional event because of a foot injury, officials said Wednesday.

The Korea Skating Unions said Choi, 17, informed organizers of the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy on Tuesday that she wouldn’t be able to participate. This year’s Asian Trophy opened in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Choi has been struggling with a loose pair of boots since last season. She battled lingering pains to win the first round of the national Olympic trials last weekend in Seoul.

A source close to Choi said the skater will take a few days of rest. The next round of the Olympic trials will be in December, and the national championships in January next year will be the last qualifying competition. The combined scores from the three events will determine who will represent Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics being hosted in Pyeongchang, Gangwon.

Choi is the second Korean figure skater to withdraw from the Asian Trophy. Cha Jun-hwan pulled out of the men’s singles earlier with ankle and hip injuries.

FOOTBALL

Korea ramps up effort to secure 2023 Asian Cup bid

Korea’s football governing body on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss its bid plans for the Asian Cup in 2023.

The Korea Football Association’s president, Chung Mong-gyu, chaired the meeting at its headquarters in central Seoul. Thirty-seven members attended to discuss various issues, including Korea’s bid to host the Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Cup in 2023.

Korea last hosted the quadrennial competition in 1960.

The confederation announced last month that Korea, China and Thailand were all in contention to stage the men’s tournament in 2023, but Thailand recently withdrew, making it a two-horse race.

Starting with the 2019 event in the United Arab Emirates, the Asian Cup will have 24 nations, up eight teams from the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia.

Chung, who previously revealed his idea of co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup with China, Japan and North Korea, said South Korea has the potential to host the 2023 Asian Cup successfully. The country recently staged the FIFA U-20 World Cup on home soil.

The Asian Football Confederation will decide on the host country in May 2018 after a vote from its 46 members.

Yonhap