North Korea was the big winner in a series of women's boxing matches sponsored by a South Korean promoter who wants to see the two countries move closer together by meeting in the ring.
Women from the two countries fought each other on Tuesday for the first time in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in matches sponsored by boxing promoter Park Sang-kwon's newly created World Boxing Council Female.
North Korean women won all four bouts, including one in which Han Yon Soon defeated South Korean Han Min-joo in the light-flyweight category, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
Yvonne Caples, a 33-year-old English teacher who started boxing at the University of California and trains in Las Vegas, lost to Choi Eun Soon for the WBCF flyweight title.
Kim Kwang Ok seized the bantamweight title over Shiro Morimoto of Japan, and Ryu Myung Ok knocked out Elizabeth Sanchez of Mexico in a super flyweight bout.
"The strongest are those who win over the strong. Although the Japanese boxer was persistent, I pressed her with all my might," new champion Kim told South Korea's Yonhap news agency after her fight.
"I'm glad we showed how strong North Korea's women's boxing is," she said.
Some 13,000 North Koreans crowded the Pyongyang stadium to cheer their fighters on, also enjoying the rare sight of one of the young women who announce the rounds wearing a colorful Hanbok, Korea's traditional dress, according to Yonhap.
Amateur boxers from the two Koreas also met each other in the ring, but the six matches all ended in ties, Yonhap reported.
Park wants to use boxing to improve relations between the two Koreas, but his efforts have created problems in the world of women's boxing.
The California-based International Female Boxers Association refused to sanction Tuesday's matches and vacated the titles of the North Korean fighters Kim and Ryu.
IFBA founder Rick Kulis has accused Park of a conflict of interest by heading the boxing association and promoting the North Korean fighters, creating a potentially unfair situation for foreign fighters.
Park says North Korea has more than 2,000 male and female boxers and that he is promoting the fighters from the communist country because no one else wants to do it.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Aaron Civale got a little wild in the right-hander’s first start for the Chicago White Sox two days after he was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers. Civale on Sunday walked four of the first seven hitters he faced in a 2-1 loss to the Texas Rangers. The 30-year-old finished with four walks, one off his career high, while allowing six hits and two runs in five innings. He threw 65 strikes and 39 balls. Chicago trailed 2-1 when he was replaced by Dan Altavilla to start the sixth. “Not the cleanest,” Civale said. “It’s been a whirlwind of a week. First couple
RSS