SINGAPORE SURPASSES SOUTH KOREA AS ASIA'S LEADING SPORTS TOURISM DESTINATION

Singapore has outperformed South Korea's Seoul to become "Asia's leading sports tourism destination" at this year's World Travel Awards.

Tourists pose for photos with the Marina Bay Sands at a popular tourist spot along Marina Bay in Singapore, July 24, 2015. Photo by Reuters

The city state held the title in 2023 but lost it to South Korea last year.

Singapore is a major sports tourism destination due to landmarks like the Singapore Sports Hub and events such as the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

The Sports Hub, a 35-hectare complex, includes the 55,000-seat National Stadium and the 12,000-seat Singapore Indoor Stadium, which host a wide array of international sporting and entertainment events.

The city-state's commitment to high-profile events, such as the F1 night race and major golf championships, further solidifies its status as a premier destination for both athletes and fans.

The World Travel Awards, established in 1993, recognize excellence in the travel and tourism industry and are often referred to as the "Oscars of the travel industry." These annual awards are determined by votes from both travel industry professionals and the public.

- Hoang Vu

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S KOREA TO FACE U.S., MEXICO IN AWAY FOOTBALL FRIENDLIES

SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will face two of the three host countries of the next FIFA World Cup in away friendly matches this fall, the sport's national federation said Wednesday.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) said South Korea, coached by Hong Myung-bo, will play the U.S. team at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, at 5 p.m. on Sept. 6 (6 a.m. on Sept. 7, Korean Standard Time). Then South Korea will play Mexico on Sept. 9 at a venue to be determined later.

The United States and Mexico will be co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Canada.

These will be the first set of away friendly matches for South Korea since they played Wales and Saudi Arabia in Wales and England in September 2023.

Members of the South Korean starting lineup pose for photos before taking on Jordan in their Group B match in the third round of the Asian World Cup qualification at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on March 25, 2025. Top row (L to R): Hwang In-beom, Park Yong-woo, Cho Yu-min, Kwon Kyung-won, Jo Hyeon-woo and Son Heung-min. Bottom row (L to R): Lee Dong-gyeong, Lee Tae-seok, Hwang Hee-chan, Lee Jae-sung and Seol Young-woo. (Yonhap)
 

South Korea last played the U.S. in February 2014, when the Americans prevailed 2-0. The U.S. are No. 16 in the current FIFA rankings, seven spots ahead of South Korea. But South Korea hold the all-time edge with five wins, three draws and three losses.

The previous meeting between South Korea and Mexico came in November 2015 in Austria, where Mexico had a 3-2 win. South Korea have had four wins, two draws and eight losses against Mexico, currently world No. 17.

South Korea are on the verge of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. In the ongoing third round of the Asian qualification, they are leading Group B with 16 points with two matches to go, three points ahead of Jordan and four better than Iraq. And with the top two teams booking their tickets to the World Cup, South Korea can grab one with at least a draw against Iraq in their next qualifying match on June 5.

The final qualifying match will be at home against Kuwait on June 10.

The KFA said Hong will announce his squad for those matches May 26.

South Korea have played in every World Cup since 1986, including as a co-host alongside Japan in 2002.

- Yoo Jee-ho

 

 

CHINA ALIVE IN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING DESPITE SOUTH KOREA LOSS

China goalkeeper Wang Dalei reacts after conceding a goal to South Korea in World Cup qualifying. Getty Images

 China squeezed into the third round of Asia's preliminaries for the 2026 World Cup by the narrowest of margins on Tuesday despite slipping to a 1-0 loss at the hands of South Korea in Seoul.

Indonesia, North Korea, Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan also confirmed their progress to the next round with the Chinese qualifying as runners-up in Group C behind the South Koreans after Thailand could only register a 3-1 victory over Singapore.

Needing to win by three clear goals, or to score at least four with a two-goal victory margin to climb above the Chinese in the standings, Masatada Ishii's side fell agonisingly short of a spot in the draw for the next round on June 27.

Suphanat Mueanta put Thailand in front eight minutes before the break but Thailand-based forward Ikhsan Fandi levelled 12 minutes after the restart for the Singaporeans.

A frantic Thailand pushed forward as time ticked down with Poramet Arjvirai and Jaroensak Wonggorn scoring in the last 11 minutes to take their side closer to their target, but ultimately the War Elephants fell short.

The Chinese had earlier lost in Seoul World Cup Stadium when Paris Saint-Germain winger Lee Kang-in scored from close range in the 61st minute to leave Branko Ivankovic and his players sweating on the outcome of the game in Bangkok.

Indonesia, meanwhile, confirmed their progress to the third round for the first time with a comfortable 2-0 win in Group F over the Philippines at a buoyant Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Netherlands-born midfielder Thom Haye put the home side in front 32 minutes into the game when he bent a perfectly judged right foot shot into the top corner of Kevin Mendoza's goal.

The victory was secured through a glanced header by Rizky Ridho in the 56th minute that gave the unprotected Mendoza little chance as Indonesia confirmed a second-place finish behind already-qualified Iraq.

Japan cruised to a 5-0 win over Syria in Hiroshima that fatally damaged the hopes of Hector Cuper's side, who were overtaken in Group B by North Korea as a result of Ri Jo Guk's hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Myanmar in Vientiane.

Kuwait finished second in Group A when Eid Al-Rashidi scored in the 81st minute to hand Afghanistan a 1-0 loss, with the Gulf state taking the runners-up spot behind Asian champions Qatar, who ended India's hopes with a 2-1 win in Al-Rayyan.

Kyrgyzstan confirmed their progress with a 1-1 draw with Group D winners Oman, who had already sealed their spot in the third round as Eldiyar Zarypbekov saw his 19th minute opener cancelled out by Abdul Aziz Khalfan's deflected strike.

The draw for the next round will feature 18 nations, including regular World Cup qualifiers Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran and Saudi Arabia, who had all secured their berths ahead of Tuesday's group matches.

Uzbekistan, Jordan, Bahrain and Palestine have also qualified for the third phase, which will see teams compete for six of the continent's eight guaranteed spots in the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

- Reuters 

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$510 DODGERS JERSEY AND $150 CAPS. BEHOLD THE PRICE OF BEING AN OHTANI FAN IN JAPAN

AP Photo 

 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Mai Fukuo was gift-shopping for a friend. Hideki Chiba was in the same sports store in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo looking for something for his father-in-law.

They each picked up items in blue — Los Angeles Dodgers Blue, of course. This reflects the color revolution that's evident all over Tokyo in the last few months since Shohei Ohtani moved from the Los Angeles Angels — base color, red — to sign a $700-million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.

Angels caps have almost vanished in Tokyo. A Dodgers lid is the fashion item — a bit like designer-label goods.

“Ohtani just changed our store,” said Takuto Yamashita, a part-time worker at a shop called Selection, which boasts Japan's largest array of MLB gear for all 30 teams, and the 12 Japanese pro teams, too.

But there's one team that matters more than the rest in Japan. And only one player, which is why the Dodgers invested so heavily in Ohtani; not just for his pitching and hitting, but for his celebrity status to market the Dodgers as Japan's team.

“The place is completely different. It went from all red to to all blue," Yamashita added. "Without Ohtani in these last few months, the sales in this store would be so different.”

Fukuo eyed a traditional white jersey with “Dodgers” in script across the front. She lifted it off the rack — a quilt of Dodgers and Ohtani garb — and admired it for looks, size and texture.

“I'm thinking of buy this t-shirt for my co-worker because Ohtani is very famous — of course in Japan — and also all over the world," she explained. "He likes baseball and he likes Ohtani so I'm thinking of this.”

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