Sports Briefs

FOOTBALL

Korea places second in AFC club competitions ranking

Korea finished second this year in the Asian Football Confederation club competitions ranking, the K League said Thursday.

Korea earned 87.48 points to place second among AFC members, while the United Arab Emirates topped the ranking with 95.94 points.

The AFC club competitions ranking is based on the results of teams that competed at AFC-approved club tournaments over the past four years and members’ FIFA world rankings.

The club points account for 90 percent, while the FIFA ranking makes up the remaining 10 percent.

The ranking is used for seeding teams in AFC competitions. Korea saw a steep drop in its club points this year after three teams failed to reach the round of 16 at the AFC Champions League.

Korea received 80.425 points from club points and 7.055 from the FIFA ranking. The country was second in club points behind the United Arab Emirates and fourth in FIFA ranking points behind Iran, Australia and Japan.

BOXING

Manny Pacquiao arrives in Korea for winter vacation

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao arrived in Korea on Wednesday for his winter vacation.

Pacquiao, the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, will spend eight days in Korea with his family. During his visit, the 39-year-old boxer will appear on an episode of the variety show “Infinite Challenge” and meet with fans.

Pacquiao, who also serves as a senator in the Philippines, is scheduled to meet Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon next week. He is also expected to visit the National Assembly and meet with lawmakers there.

This is Pacquiao’s second visit to Korea after he came last December.

Pacquiao recently made headlines after he posted Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor’s photo on his social media and told him to “stay fit.”

BASEBALL

Seo Jae-weong joins Kia Tigers’ coaching staff

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Seo Jae-weong has rejoined his Korean hometown club as a coach.

The Kia Tigers announced Wednesday that Seo, 40, will join their coaching staff next season. His exact position is yet to be determined.

Seo pitched six seasons in Major League Baseball, starting in 2002 with the New York Mets.

He later played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays over his six-year MLB career, compiling a 28-40 record with a 4.60 ERA in 118 appearances, 102 of them starts.

He then signed with the Tigers, based in his hometown of Gwangju before the 2008 season.

Seo went 42-48 in 164 appearances with a 4.30 ERA and announced his retirement in January 2016. For the past seasons, he has been working as a television commentator.

Yonhap