North Korea has lifted the veil. For the first time in five years, the country is competing in international athletics. The North Korean women’s soccer team, which has been the talk of the tournament, also made an appearance.
North Korea’s men’s national soccer team, led by coach Kim Jong-nam, won its Hangzhou Asian Games Group F opener against Chinese Taipei 2-0 on Monday at the Jinhua Zhejiang Sabodai East Stadium in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, China. North Korea scored back-to-back goals from Ri Cho Gook in the seventh minute and Kim Kuk Jin in the 12th minute to seal the win.
It was the first time in three years and eight months that North Korean soccer made an appearance on the international stage. North Korea hasn’t competed since the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 tournament in January 2020. It has been five years since North Korea has competed in an international tournament. North Korea hasn’t competed in an international event in five years, since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. It unilaterally withdrew from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, citing COVID-19. It was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The suspension was lifted on December 31 last year. Since then, North Korea has gradually returned to international competitions. It sent nearly 200 athletes to the Games. According to the official information site of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, North Korea has registered a total of 191 athletes (112 women and 79 men) in 18 sports.
The games have begun. North Korea utilized a 4-4-2 formation. Right wing Paik Chong-sung often broke through the Taiwanese flank to support the “two-tops” Ri Cho-guk and Kim Kuk-jin. When Baek Chong-sung was defended, left wing Ri Il-sung would find an opening to attack. It worked. North Korea took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute of the first half on a goal by Ri Zoguk. Ri took a right-footed shot from inside the penalty box. The ball hit a Taiwanese defender and went into the back of the net. Five minutes later, they added another goal. Baek Chung-sung broke through the Taiwanese left flank and sent in a cross. Kim Kook-jin volleyed the ball into the back of the net.
North Korea is ranked 115th by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). They outplayed Taiwan (153rd) in a one-sided affair. North Korea did not relinquish the lead in the second half. However, there was no third goal. North Korea secured a comfortable victory in its return to international competition. They will face Kyrgyzstan on Nov. 21 and Indonesia on Nov. 24.
The North Korean women’s team also made an appearance at the stadium. The North Korean women’s cheering squad made a splash in South Korea at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, the 2003 Daegu Summer Universiade in August, the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, and the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games also featured mixed-gender North Korean cheering squads.온라인카지노
Meanwhile, Thailand and Bahrain, drawn in Group E with South Korea, played to a 1-1 draw in their first match. Bahrain took a 1-0 lead through Hussain Abdulaziz in the 42nd minute. However, Thailand equalized in second-half stoppage time with a left-footed strike from Purachet Tosanit.