Sports Briefs

SPEED SKATING

Mo Tae-bum hangs up his skates, decides to ride his bicycle instead

Speed skater Mo Tae-bum held a retirement ceremony at Taereung Indoor Ice Rink in northern Seoul on Monday.

Mo, who started skating in third grade, won a surprise gold medal in the men’s 500 meters and a silver in the 1,000 meters at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Those two medals in Vancouver cemented Mo’s place as one of Korea’s speed skating stars alongside Lee Sang-hwa and Lee Seung-hoon. Mo failed to continue his stride at the Sochi Olympics, and at PyeongChang last month he competed in the 500 meters but did not medal.

Though Mo has hung up his skates, he will continue his athletic career as a cyclist.

“I wanted to try something new,” Mo said. “Since I was little, I’ve had a lot of cycling training and since I raced short distances, I believe that I can be successful in cycling as well because it also takes place over short distances.”

By Kang Yoo-rim

FOOTBALL

North Korean football officials will travel to South for EAFF meeting

North Korean football officials will visit South Korea later this week to attend a meeting on regional football issues, an official with Seoul’s football governing body said Tuesday.

An official with the Korea Football Association (KFA) said four North Korean officials will visit South Korea’s southern city of Busan to attend the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) executive committee meeting and its congress on Friday.

The official said four North Koreans, including EAFF executive committee member Han Un-gyong, will take a flight via Beijing to Gimhae International Airport in Busan on Thursday. They are expected to return home on Saturday.

“North Korean officials are coming to South Korea as one of the 10 EAFF members,” the KFA official said. “Since South Korea will chair the EAFF from this year, the meetings are going to be held in the country.”

The North Koreans’ visit comes after the two Koreas shared a moment of peace at the Feb. 9 to 25 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the March 9 to 18 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics in the South.

BASEBALL

Rogers gets slap on the wrist from KBO after inappropriate antics

Nexen Heroes right-hander Esmil Rogers received a warning from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Tuesday over inappropriate actions against his former team last weekend.

The KBO’s measure came one day after the Heroes themselves warned the Dominican pitcher, who beat the Hanwha Eagles on Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.

The following day, the Eagles lodged a complaint with the Heroes over Rogers’ antics during Saturday’s game. After Hanwha’s Choi Jae-hoon was thrown out at home to end the second inning, Rogers crossed paths with Choi near home plate and tapped the back of Choi’s head with his glove.

Choi was trying to score from third on a fly ball off the bat of Lee Yong-kyu. Rogers also hit Lee on the helmet. Rogers, who is known as a flamboyant player, later explained, “I was just playing around with them.”

Then, in the fifth inning, Rogers picked off Yang Sung-woo at first base and pointed two fingers at his own eyes, apparently telling Yang, “I have my eyes on you.”

In warning Rogers, the KBO cited Rule 3.09 in the Official Baseball Rules, which says, “Players of opposing teams shall not fraternize at any time while in uniform.”

Separately, the KBO’s own regulations prevent players from engaging in actions that may offend their opponents, spectators or umpires during games.

Yonhap