North Korean Athletes Finally Break Free: The Road to Hangzhou Asian Games 2022

2023-08-11 04:42:37

North Korean athletes will be in the mood of prisoners who have been paroled following a long wait when they arrive at the Asian Games this time. With dictator Kim Jong Un closing the country’s borders in the name of Covid, Korea’s world-class players have been stuck inside the country so far, unable to participate in competitions abroad. North Korea, which turned its back on major events including the Tokyo Olympics, is coming to the Hangzhou Asian Games. The Hangzhou Games will be the first international competition in which North Korean players will participate since December 2019. Reports say that 200 people have been registered, but only 50 will arrive.

The International Olympic Committee has banned North Korea from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to concerns over the spread of Covid-19. With this, participation in the Winter Olympics was also lost. Despite the lifting of the ban last year, North Korea has continued to insist that it will not send a team to the sporting events. The weightlifting championship held in Cuba in June this year was not sent to the competition except for the announced team. Amidst all this, there is one more reason behind deciding to participate in the Asian Games held in China. Participation in the Hangzhou Games is also an opportunity for North Korea, which is constantly at loggerheads with the West, to improve diplomatic relations with close friends China.

It’s a different world

Other countries, including India, are very worried when North Korea arrives at the Asian Games with training in a closed center and tactics unknown to the outside world. The reason for this is the suspicions regarding the use of doping by North Korean players. No Korean athlete has been tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in the past 3 years due to suspension from competition. Details of the doping tests conducted by North Korea’s national agency have not been released. Therefore, the outside world has no information regarding the happenings in the North Korean sports world in the last 3 years. There have been incidents of Korean players caught using doping, including at the last Games.

Medal or mine

In the past, North Korea shocked the world by sending athletes who failed to win medals in the Olympics to work in mines. This time the Asian Games approved participation, and dictator Kim Jong Un put forward a proposal. The country should bring more medals than last Games. It was only following this that it was decided to implement strict criteria that only those who are likely to win a medal should compete.

North Korea won 37 medals including 12 gold in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. Out of this 8 golds were in weightlifting. Other events with medal potential are wrestling, shooting, gymnastics, football and judo.

English Summary : Kim agreed, North Korea will come for Asian Games

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