Sports Briefs

HANDBALL

Korean men’s team tops Seoul Cup Handball

The Korean men’s handball team defeated Iran on Tuesday to win the 12th Seoul Cup Handball, an international competition in the Korean capital.

Korea scored a victory of 33-22 over Iran in the last match of the tournament at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in southern Seoul.

In the three-day competition in which three countries - Korea, Tunisia and Iran - participated, Korea tied with Tunisia with one win and one tie but went four points ahead in score. Tunisia finished second, and Iran finished third.

Korea, ranked 19th in the world, scored 28-28 in the match against Tunisia, ranked 17th, on the first day of the tournament. Tunisia trounced Iran, ranked 50th, 30-23 on the second day.

Seoul Cup Handball was created in 1993 to commemorate the Korean women’s team’s Olympic gold medals in 1988 and 1992.

FOOTBALL

Gwangju taps Kim Hak-bum to lead club to turnaround

Veteran football coach Kim Hak-bum was appointed as the new leader of Gwangju FC, the last-place club in the K League Classic, on Wednesday. He will succeed Nam Ki-il, who offered to resign Monday in the midst of the club’s poor season.

Gwangju FC is dead last in the 12-team league with 19 points, four back of Incheon United, with four wins, 14 losses and seven draws. They’re in danger of getting relegated to the second-division K League Challenge next season.

The lowest-ranked team in the K League Classic each year gets demoted to the lower competition the following season.

Gwangju FC said they’ve hired Kim because of his risk management abilities. He previously rescued Gangwon FC and Seongnam FC from relegation.

“Kim has experience handling difficult situations wisely,” Gwangju FC said in a release. “He will unite Gwangju FC’s young players as one unit and is the right person to save the team from relegation.”

Yonhap