[ad_1]
I -Eva Peron, Korea and the Olympics
Earlier than Korea turned one of the vital industrialized nations on the complete Asian continent, Argentina -it is about 26 occasions the dimensions of SK- was {one of the} world’s six richest international locations. Across the identical time, they had been getting off on the proper foot within the Olympic Video games.
Argentina -now a football-loving nation- was house to sixty p.c of Latin America’s Olympic winners-aquatics, boxing, polo, rowing, track-field. On the 1948 London Video games, they completed thirteenth within the medal standings. In distinction to its neighbours, Argentina had an Olympic champ to cheer in that yr , when Delfo Cabrera gained a gold medal. On that event, Korea was actually not fortunate,and completed thirty second within the medal desk. Korea’s first Olympic nationwide staff was shaped within the late 40s. However Koreans dare to dream the not possible.
On the 1951 Pan American Video games in Buenos Aires, the host nation completed first within the rely medal- the place America was ousted from the primary spot for the primary time in Continental Video games historical past by Argentina.
However Argentina is now historical past. Within the final Olympics, the Latin American nation solely gained two golds-soccer & biking. Mockingly, Argentina-where there are snow-mountains- has by no means gained an Olympic medal within the Winter Video games. Then, in April 2009, the Bolivian males’s soccer squad upset staff Argentina, which was skilled by soccer player-turned-coach Diego Armando Maradona, 6-1.
Completely different from Argentina, Japan, Australia and Canada, SK is ranked among the many 5 finest Olympic groups, together with China, America, Russia and Germany. This very good staff is a paradigm on Earth.
Korea expects to ship about 50 champs to the XXI Winter Video games in Vancouver, Canada. The nation’s athletic rulers additionally anticipate to ship 250 champs to the London 2012 Olympics.
II-A Small Nation With A Large Ambition
From my perspective I believe that South Korea is essentially the most profitable Olympic nation in historical past. Now SK turned a supply of inspiration for a lot of Olympic international locations world wide. Actually, it’s a position mannequin for small international locations -from Austria to Brunei Darussalam- and multiparty States -e.g. India, Taiwan, Chile, Peru, Argentina.
The Republic of Korea, also referred to as South Korea, is concerning the measurement of Indiana. Greater than 49 million individuals dwell there-it isn’t far off the entire in Ukraine. In contrast to Venezuela-it has had the advantage of excessive oil costs, Peru and Angola, Korea has few pure sources. This nation doesn’t have oil, diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, fuel, and uranium.
However within the final a long time of the twentieth century, the Korean State launched an industrialization program and broaden schooling. The rulers devoted greater than 20 p.c of its nationwide funds to the event human-education, tradition, welfare, sports activities. Now SK has {one of the} world’s strongest economies.
III-The Troublesome Years
Within the Nineteen Forties and Fifties, SK was a war-torn nation-World Conflict II and Korean Conflict. Due to this, it turned {one of the} world’s poorest nations. After World Conflict II ended 35 years of Japanese domination and Korea gained its independence (1948).
From 1950 to ’53 almost three million Koreans died. However, there have been, 500,000 Koreans residing abroad. Within the following a long time Korea was ruled by army warlords. Within the Nineties SK turned a democratic nation.
IV- A Nation of Sports activities Lovers
Throughout the Nineteen Sixties and Seventies, the rule launched many sports activities reforms -a robust emphasis on bodily schooling into academic system- and did many issues to enhance sporting life within the nation-an official coverage that continued within the Nineties and 2000s. In only a few years, additionally they promoted the sports activities that weren’t well-known within the nation.
Success got here slowly at first. The variety of Asian awards elevated from round 27 in 1958 to greater than 65 in 1978. From 1964 to ’76, the nation’s champs earned 12 Olympic medals. One other instance, Korea’s boxers, led by Moon Sung-Kil, gained many world titles within the Nineteen Eighties.
In contrast to Cuba -which had a number of coaches from the united states, East Germany, Bulgaria, North Korea and Poland- SK didn’t have international coaches. All its Olympic awards had been produced by Korean coaches.
To help Seoul’s bid to host the 1988 Olympics, the Korean chairmans hosted many worldwide occasions -the 1979 Capturing World Championships, the 1982 Baseball World Cup, the 1982 Boxing World Championships and the Korea Cup (volleyball)-and constructed world-class stadiums.
V- The Boycott In opposition to South Korea
Throughout Chilly Conflict, particularly between 1950 and 1985, Korea was an remoted Olympic nation. This Asian nation was thought of a world pariah by the World Marxist and a number of other anti-American states (Korea turned a UN member in 1991).
The 1979 Seoul FIBA Ladies’s World Championships had been boycotted by the Soviet Union and its allies. Three years later, Cuba’s boxers, world & Olympic champions, weren’t allowed to compete within the World Cup by Fidel Castro. That very same yr, Cuba additionally didn’t ship baseball gamers to the World Championships in South Korea.
In 1986 North Korea boycotted the Asian Video games. The Democratic Individuals’ s Republic of Korea refused to ship champs to SK. Subsequently, the XXIV Seoul Summer season Olympic Video games had been boycotted by seven nations-Albania, Cuba, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nicaragua, North Korea, and Seychelles. Nevertheless, the sports activities officers despatched a number of champs to Moscow, Varna, Havana and Prague.
VI – Seoul Olympic Video games- A Gold Medal for Korea
Throughout the IOC Session in Germany in 1981, Seoul was chosen as host nation for the 1988 Summer season Olympics, and started a brand new period for the nation’s sports activities improvement. Seoul beat Nagoya, Japan’s metropolis. That call induced shock world wide.
Thirty-eight years in the past, Seoul had been destroyed by Korean Conflict, however it had been rebuilt in document time. Within the ’70s and early ’80s, Seoul was a profitable host to a number of worldwide tournaments.
The IOC awarded Seoul the Olympics by a margin of 15 votes. Kim Un-Yong -one of the world’s finest Olympic czars- was a key determine behind South Korea’s bid to host the 1988 Summer season Olympics. He was runner-up when Jacques Rogge was elected IOC chairman.
SK, an anti-Marxist state within the twentieth century, didn’t have full diplomatic ties with the World Soviet-which had gained the final three Olympics- and the Individuals’s Republic of China-the new Olympic member. Moscow may have boycotted the Video games in South Korea.
Secondly, Korea was not a multiparty-state on the Asian area. In 1980, an indication organized by the pro-democratic teams become the bloody riot often known as the “Kwangju Bloodbath”. In 1974 South Korea’s First Girl had been assassinated. A while later, ruler Park Chung Hee was killed by the pinnacle of South Korea CIA in Seoul.
On the twenty fourth Summer season Video games, SK gained 12 gold medals and was {one of the} 4 finest sports activities groups on the planet.
The Opening ceremony was spectacular. The following day, the pictures had been seen everywhere in the world and from that second the identify Korea was identified all over the place. In the meantime, representatives from 159 international locations attended the Olympics, together with the united states and China.
Seoul’88 was a political-blow to the Communist Motion. The Kremlin despatched 514 champs to the 1988 Video games. That journey had the blessing of the Soviet regime, which had boycotted the Summer season Olympics within the States in 1984. Then, greater than 290 champs -e.g Petra Felke, Heike Drechsler, Kristin Otto- had been despatched by the East German warlords- a landslide victory for the Korean chairmans. However there have been different pals too: The Vietnamese rule allowed champs from Vietnam to attend the Summer season Video games. Actually, sports activities was an essential diplomatic software for Korea.
VII- Democracy & Sports activities
Within the nation’s first multiparty presidential election, in December 1992, Kim Younger Sam -a passionate human-rights advocate-, was elected, and the Asian nation returned to civilian rule. It was a watershed second.
Now South Korea is among the most excellent democracies -human improvement and democracy- in Asia and a task mannequin for a number of post-dictatorship states. From then on, Korea has {one of the} world’s most bold academic projects-many younger individuals research greater than 11 hours.
Underneath the brand new democratic rulers, SK has strengthened its sporting system. Actually they needed to be the centre of excellence in Asia. The Olympic Korean staff stunned the world when it emerged as a “new world energy” within the twenty first century. However, the nation staged profitable 2002 World Cup and 2003 World College Video games.
Within the two-year interval between the 2006 Winter Video games and 2008 Summer season Olympics, Korea gained 42 awards (19 golds, 13 silvers, 10 bronzes) and completed 5 within the unofficial staff standings, behind China, Russia, Germany and the U.S. Korea’s delegation was backed up by President Roh Moo-Hyn. Along with the Olympic and world titles, South Korea has gained a number of Asian gold medals. They competed with 45 international locations within the Olympic-type Asian Video games.
Earlier than the 1992 Winter Olympic Video games, Korea had not gained any medal. With out the sporting custom of Czechoslovakia and Sweden, Korea has extra Winter Olympic medals than Spain and Japan. Because of this, the federal government lent its help to a bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. In Guatemala Metropolis, Pyongchang was solely crushed for the Winter Video games by Sochi (Russia).
VIII- From Archery to Wrestling
For the reason that 2000s Korea is powerhouse in aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, fencing, area hockey, gymnastics, handball, judo, capturing, short-track, desk tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling,and different sports activities.
Archers With Olympic Honours
Korea has produced world-beating archers lately. From 1984 to 2008 they’ve gained 16 gold medals. The nation’s archers, impressed by Search engine optimisation Hyang-Quickly, gained 3 of the 4 occasions on the Sydney Olympic Video games in 2000.
Athletics-Fusion of Previous, Current and Future
Within the first half of the twentieth century, two Koreans, Suh Yun Bok & Ham Kee Yong, gained the Boston Marathon. In 2001 Bong-Ju Lee turned the primary non-African to win the Boston Marathon since 1991. The nation’s marathon runner Hwang Younger-Cho – one in every of Korea’s most well-known champs- claimed a gold medal on the twenty fifth Summer season Olympics in Spain. Hwang is the second sportsman from an Asian nation to win an occasion on this competitors. Korean-born Kijung Son gained the Olympic title in 1936. On the Berlin 1936 Video games, he had been compelled to run within the colours of the occupying Japanese forces.
Badminton-Stage of Stars
Since 1985 SK turned {one of the} world’s finest groups. Lee Yong-Dae and Lee Hyo-Jung defeated Lilyana Natsir and Nova Widianto (Indonesia) within the combined doubles ultimate on the China Summer season Olympics in 2008. Korea positioned first on the 1996 Olympic Badminton Event within the States-it collected two gold and silver medals.
Baseball- SK vs Cuba
Baseball has come an extended away in South Korea. Its best yr was 2008, when Korea gained the gold on the Beijing Olympic Video games, beating Cuba, former world champion (1984-2005). Eight years in the past, they’d earned a bronze medal in Sydney 2000. When the Video games had been opened in China, the States-2007 world champion- and Cuba had been contending odds-on favorites.
The yr 1982 was very blissful for Korea too. That yr they turned the primary Asian staff to win a World Cup. The nationwide staff got here near successful the World Championships in 2005.
Ladies’s Basketball-Asian Celebrity
Surprisingly SK was runner-up on the FIBA Ladies’s World Cup in Czechoslovakia within the late Nineteen Sixties.In 1979, Korea, host nation, positioned second on the World Championships. They induced an upset within the second spherical of the World Cup by beating the favourite America (94-82). 4 years later, Korea was {one of the} semi-finalist within the Common Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil-behind the united states, America and the Individuals’s Republic. However they didn’t cease there. The next yr it earned silver on the Summer season Olympic Video games in California, USA. The staff turned the primary ladies’s basket staff in Asia to win an Olympic award.
Fencing-New Olympic Awards
In 2000 Younger Ho Kim lived as much as fame as one of the vital in style Asian fencers by successful a gold medal on the Summer season Video games. He’s the primary fencer from an Asian nation to win an Olympic title.
Area Hockey- A Main Asian Expertise
Prior to now few a long time, the Korean groups have gained three Olympic silver medals. Throughout this time period, SK turned the primary Asian feminine staff to qualify for the Olympic finals. The nationwide males’s staff gained silver on the 2000 Sydney Video games and had been fourth on the 2002 World Championships. In Australia they, spearheaded by Tune Seung-Tae, defeated India (2-0), Poland (3-2), and Pakistan (1-0) earlier than dropping to the Netherlands (4-5). Superb silver medal!
Ladies’s Handball- Two Olympic Golds
This nation is the one profitable Asian staff on the earth. In 1984 they turned the second Korean gamers in historical past to win a staff Olympic medal on the Summer season Video games.
In 1988 Korea made historical past when it gained the Olympic gold medal with out ever having gained a World Cup title. The nationwide staff, host nation, turned the primary non-European handball staff to win a world title in historical past. After the successful the Asian Event in 1990, Korea certified for the 1992 Olympics and gained its second Olympic medal in a row.
At its fourth Olympic look, they claimed silver medal on the twenty sixth Olympiad-only Denmark may beat SK. Throughout the 14th Asian Video games in 2002, Korea gained each the lads’s and girls’s handball tournaments. This sport was utterly unknown within the Nineteen Sixties.
Judo- A Gold Mine for Medals
From 1981 to 2007, Korea has gained a complete of 21 gold medals within the World Championships. On the 1996 Atlanta Video games, the nationwide staff gained seven judo medals (2 golds, 3 silvers, 2 bronzes), behind solely Japan (8 awards). In 1981 Park Chung Hak turned the primary judoka in SK to win a world trophy.
Quick-Observe Velocity Skating-New Olympic document!
SK is the one nation to have 17 Olympic gold medals. On the 2006 Turin Winter Video games, the nationwide staff dominated the medal desk, with a complete of 10 awards (6 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals).
Capturing-Surprises
In Barceolona’92 it earned two Olympic golds, Lee Eun Chol (males’s free rifle) & Yeo Kab Quickly (ladies’s air rifle).
Soccer- Cha Bum-Kun, the Legend
In accordance with Park Pil-Quickly, Director of the Korean Olympic Committee, soccer is the preferred sport within the nation. “The most well-liked sport in Korea today is soccer. Whereas baseball used to take the highest spot when it comes to recognition and the variety of spectators previously, soccer gained many followers after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which we hosted with Japan. Korea superior to the semifinals, which made us very enthusiastic about this sport”.
Within the early 80s, Korea positioned fourth on the FIFA Junior World Cup and have become the second Asian soccer staff to qualify for the semi-finals in a world match.
They’ve certified for the FIFA World Cup since 1986. On the 2002 Japan-South Korea, Cha Bum-Kun turned among the finest soccer gamers on the planet. Korea has gained 5 regional tournaments (two Asian Cups and three continental gold medals). On the 1948 Olympics within the UK, South Korea positioned eighth.
Swimming- The Street to Bejing
Park Tae-Hwan turned the primary swimmer in SK to win a gold medal within the Olympic Video games when he gained the lads’s 400m freestyle on the twenty ninth Summer season Olympics in Beijing (China).Park’s first main worldwide success got here on the 2007 FINA World Championships, the place he gained a gold medal. The Korean star is the nation’s pre-eminent sporting icon.
Desk Tennis- A Conventional Sport
This sport is among the oldest sports activities within the nation.Within the early Seventies, Korea made historical past when it gained a gold medal within the World Event. Between 1987 and 1993 it additionally earned 4 world trophies.
Taekwondo-Unbeatable Data
Some well-known taekwondo athletes have born in South Korea: Hwang Kyung-Seon, Kim Kyong-Hun, Lee Solar-Hee, and Moon Dae-Saung.
For a lot of a long time these athletes had been unbeatable on the earth. Korea has gained greater than 140 world titles (1975-2007). They’ve additionally dominated the Olympic Taekwondo Event. Since 2000 it has gained 9 golds.
Volleyball- A Sturdy Nationwide Staff
This sport is among the hottest within the nation. In 1987 the nationwide staff claimed the FIVB Males’s Junior World Championship within the Persian Gulf, and was the third Korean staff to win a world title since 1977.
Once they arrived in Manama, Bahrain’s capital, the Korean staff was not favourite.A while later Korea defeated Brazil, which gained the silver medal in 1984, 3-2 (19-17, 15-8, 6-15, 11-15, 15-12), on the Olympic Males’s Volleyball Event. Within the late 70s, Korea was semi-finalist on the World Championships in Italy. Within the qualifying rounds, they defeated Poland, Olympic champion, 3-1 (15-7, 11-15, 16-14, 15-10).
The Korean ladies’s nationwide staff have additionally gained many worldwide trophies. Between 1973 and 1977 they earned three world bronze medals.
Weightlifting- A Darkish Horse
In 2006, Jang Mi-Ran, 2004 Olympic silver medalist, broke the world document within the + 75 kg class within the Center East.
Within the early 90s, Chun Byong Kwan, an unknown weightlifter, got here to the Barcelona Video games and gained the Olympic trophy.
Wrestling-Heroes of the Video games
Korea’s wrestlers have an extended custom of successful awards. Within the mid-60s, Solar Jang Chang earned a gold medal on the World Cup within the States. He turned {one of the} first Koreans to win a world title. Within the final decade of the twentieth century, the nationwide staff gained 9 common awards.
IX – Man Bok Park- A Excellent Coach
Regardless of engaging presents from many countries, he remained in Peru. Within the mid-Seventies, Man Bok Park got here to Lima and have become {one of the} world’s finest coaches.
Led by Park, Peru was runner-up on the 1982 FIVB World Championships and silver medal on the twenty fourth Summer season Olympics. Korea’s Man Bok Park turned the primary coach to guide a Latin American feminine staff to the Olympic finals in 1988. In 1980 Cuba, Olympic’s favourite, didn’t qualify for the semi-finals on the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Underneath the recommendation of Man Bok Park, the Peruvian ladies’s volleyball squad defeated Brazil a number of occasions and gained greater than six South American Championships. After the Golden Age for Peru, nation’s volleyball staff had been by no means as profitable once more on the World Championships.
X -Younger Wang Sonh’s Legacy
However Man Bok Park was not alone! On the identical time, the Argentine males’s volleyball squad was skilled by Younger Wang Sonh.This South Korean is a pioneer of Argentina’s volleyball.Younger Wang Sonh led the South American staff to win the bronze medal on the 1982 World Championships.
He has develop into essentially the most profitable coach within the historical past of Argentine volleyball.
As we speak Argentina is producing an ever-increasing variety of world-class coaches-Julio Velasco (Italy), Jon Uriarte (Argentina & Australia), Carlos Cardona (Puerto Rico), Marcelo R. Mendez (Spain), and Raúl Lozano (Poland).
XI -A Statistical Comparability
SK: 2006 Winter Olympics
Nation……….Gold……Silver…..Bronze…Rating
SK………………..6………..3……….2…………..seventh
Italy………………5…………0………6………….ninth
France………….3…………2……….4…………tenth
China…………..2…………4………5………….14th
Japan…………..1………….0………0………….18th
Asian Video games Medals
Hosts…………Gold……Silver…….Bronze….Whole…Rank
Doha 2008……58………52…………82………192……..2
Busan 2002….96………80………….84………260……..2
Bangkok’98…..65………46…………53……….164………2
Japan’94……..63………56…………64………..183……..3
China’90……..54………54………….73…………181……..2
Korea’86……..93………55………….76…………224……..2
India’82………..28…….28………….37………….93………3
Bangkok ’78…..18…….13………….23………….54………2
Iran’74………….15…….14………..17…………..46………5
Bangkok’70…….18…….13………..23…………..54………2
Bangkok’66…….12…….18…………21…………..51……..,2
Jakarta’62………4………4………….7…………..15……….5
Japan’58………..8………7………..12…………..27………3
Manila’54………..8………6…………5…………..19………3
XII -References
Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1976, Editorial America, 1977
Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1977, Editorial America, 1978
El Grafico. “Este Podio Vale una Lagrima y un Grito”, 19 de octubre de 1982
Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. “Historia del Deporte en America Latina”
————————-“El Deporte en el Sur”
Leipziger, Danny & Thomas Vinad. “Las Bases del Exito del Asia Oriental”, Revista Finanzas y Desarrollo, marzo 1994
White, Peter. T. “South Korea: What Subsequent?”, Nationwide Geographic, September 1975
Yun-han Chu, Larry Diamond, Doh Chull Shin. “Halting Progress in Korea and Taiwan”, Journal of Democracy, January 2001
1988 Seoul Official Report Quantity 2, IOC, 1989
2000 Sydney Official Report Quantity 2, IOC, 2001
2006 Torino Olympic Winter Video games Official Outcomes,IOC, 2007
[ad_2]
Source by Alejandro Guevara Onofre
