'It's not acceptable': local refs face battle amid troubling incidents of abuse

Canberra Times - Sep 27, 2026

'Why would anyone want to umpire if this is what's happening?'

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Prince explains reason behind blow-up

Sep 28, 2026

Prince explains reason behind blow-up

Broncos NRLW coach Scott Prince reflects on the spray he delivered his side mid-season.

S. Korea advances to men's 4x100m relay final after disqualification overturned

Sep 28, 2026

S. Korea advances to men's 4x100m relay final after disqualification overturned

NAGOYA — South Korea has advanced to the men's 4x100-meter relay final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after an earlier disqualification decision was overturned, organizers said Monday. The team of Kim Si-on, Joel Jin Nwamadi, Daniel Biwesa and Lee Jae-seong was disqualified during the heats of the men's 4x100m relay at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday due to an alleged violation of the baton exchange rule between first runner Kim and second runner Nwamadi. Based on time, the South Korean team ranked fourth in its heat and seventh overall among the 12 teams, with the top eight teams advancing to the final scheduled for Monday. The coaching staff immediately appealed the decision, and the appeal was accepted. The South Korean team was reinstated by the jury of appeal, according to the Asian Games Gameshub site, a real-time scoring and scheduling portal. "Right after the decision, we submitted our videos, appealing that we are not subject to disqualification, and the organizers accepted it," coach Ha Kyung-su said. "We will compete in the final." He said

With 21 gold medals, S. Korea counting on more from archery, taekwondo in final week

Sep 28, 2026

With 21 gold medals, S. Korea counting on more from archery, taekwondo in final week

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea has entered the final week of the medal competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in central Japan, having bagged 21 gold medals, about halfway to its target of about 45 gold medals. In the early going, the country's basketball teams thrived with three gold medals — one each in the men's and women's 5x5 hoops and in the men's 3x3 basketball. Among other team sports, South Korea grabbed its fifth consecutive gold in baseball and its first gold since 2018 in women's handball. Fencers also carried the load by snapping up four gold medals, with Oh Sang-uk taking the men's sabre individual title and leading South Korea to the team gold medal as well. South Korea saw surprise champions emerge from artistic gymnastics and canoe sprint. On the other hand, the country struggled in swimming and table tennis. South Korea had just one gold medal from the pool, after collecting six titles three years ago, and ended up with three bronze medals in table tennis — the country's worst-ever Asian Games performance. Over the final stretch, South Korea is expected to collect

First steps on long journey for Korean football

Sep 28, 2026

First steps on long journey for Korean football

A new era in Korean football started Thursday with a 3-0 win over Ecuador. It was not about the visitors from South America but very much about the home team. After Korea's terrible 2026, the Taeguk Warriors seem finally to be focused on football. Former coach Hong Myung-bo's disastrous showing at the World Cup led to the team's exit in the group stage, a parliamentary hearing and a police investigation. After all that, Robert Moreno has been selected as interim head coach for the next six games. After the friendly with Ecuador comes matches with Uruguay, Venezuela and Uzbekistan, followed by two more games in November that have yet to be arranged. If all goes well, Moreno — whose contract expires at the end of November — is likely to be handed the position for a longer term. Considering the team's recent lows, it would have to go quite badly for the Spaniard not to get an extension. This could include coaching the team for the Asian Cup in January, a tournament that Korea has not won since 1960. The question is whether Morena can stay for longer. His resume looks good on the surfac

Coach reveals secret behind Hwang Seo-hyeon's Asian Games gold

Sep 28, 2026

Coach reveals secret behind Hwang Seo-hyeon's Asian Games gold

NAGOYA — Incheon Physical Education High School coach Jin Gyu-tae, who trains Hwang Seo-hyeon, a 17-year-old gymnast, smiled as he reflected on his student's gold medal in an interview with Hankook Ilbo on Sunday, saying it was likely the result of “her genuine love for the balance beam since childhood.” Jin, who watched Hwang's “golden performance” at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan offered a measured assessment, acknowledging that “luck also played a part.” Still, he expressed hope that she could contend for an Olympic medal in two years if she avoided injuries and improved her jumps. Hwang topped the women's balance beam final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday at Rainbow Hall in Nagoya, scoring 14.700 points — 6.600 in difficulty and 8.100 in execution. She became the first Korean gymnast to win an Asian Games gold medal on the balance beam in 40 years, since Seo Seon-aeng at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. Her victory followed Yeo Seo-jeong's gold in the women's vault the previous day, giving Korea another gold medal in artistic gymnastics. Her confident perfo

S. Korea settles for pistol team silver following shooter's miscue

Sep 28, 2026

S. Korea settles for pistol team silver following shooter's miscue

South Korea settled for silver in a pistol shooting team event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday following its star athlete's costly miscue. The trio of Yang Ji-in, Oh Ye-jin and Bong Seo-rin was in contention for the team title at the start of the day at Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota, about 60 kilometers east of the main host city of Nagoya. Yang, the 2024 Olympic individual champion in this distance, was going for an individual medal here, too. Scores for three shooters on each team in the individual qualification round were added to determine the team standings. The individual qualification round consisted of two stages — precision and rapid fire, with 30 shots divided into six five-shot series for each section. In the precision stage, there was a time limit of five minutes per series. For the rapid fire stage, a three-second limit applied to each shot. During her rapid fire stage, Yang failed to pull the trigger on her 21st shot within that three-second window, and the unfired shot was recorded as a miss for zero point. With one more group of 12 shooter

Kim Yeong-nam wins diving silver, denies 1-2 finish by China

Sep 28, 2026

Kim Yeong-nam wins diving silver, denies 1-2 finish by China

Kim Yeong-nam claimed silver in the men's 1-meter springboard diving event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, denying China its seventh consecutive 1-2 finish in that event. Kim scored 373.30 points in six attempts at Tokyo Aquatics Centre to place second behind Wang Zongyuan of China, who earned 442.75 points. Kim edged out another Chinese diver, Liu Chengzan, who finished with 361.45 points. The men's 1m springboard made its Asian Games debut in 1990, and China had produced gold and silver medalists at every competition until Kim crashed the party and got himself sandwiched between Wang and Liu. Before Kim, Woo Haram had won three straight bronze medals for South Korea in this event, from 2014 to 2023. Earlier Monday, Kim Su-ji won bronze in the women's 1m springboard with 245.05 points. Lin Shan and Long Yiping of China took home the gold and silver medals with 263.05 points and 254.25 points, respectively. This was Kim's second medal of the competition, after her silver in the women's synchronized 3m springboard event Sunday.

Top-ranked shuttler An Se-young cruises into women's singles final

Sep 28, 2026

Top-ranked shuttler An Se-young cruises into women's singles final

World No. 1 An Se-young eased into the women's singles final in badminton at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan on Monday, giving herself a chance to make history. An dispatched Chen Yufei of China 2-0 (21-5, 21-12) in the semifinals at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Ichinomiya, just northwest of the main host city, Nagoya. An will now try to become the first player to win back-to-back women's singles gold medals in Asian Games history. The women's singles event was first contested in 1962. In a rematch of the 2023 Asiad gold medal game, An continued her dominance against her longtime Chinese rival. An scored the first nine points of the opening game to set the tone. In the second game after Chen overcame a 5-1 early deficit to pull into a 6-6 tie, An scored five consecutive points to pull ahead again. An has now won five straight meetings against Chen. In Tuesday's final, An will face Akane Yamaguchi of Japan. An has won her past eight meetings against Yamaguchi, including their singles match during the team event here last week. Earlier on Monday, Lee So-hee and Baek Hana reac

S. Korea's Mo Su-min wins silver in kurash, 1st medal at Asian Games

Sep 28, 2026

S. Korea's Mo Su-min wins silver in kurash, 1st medal at Asian Games

South Korea's Mo Su-min won the silver medal in the women's 78-kilogram kurash event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, marking the country's first kurash medal at the games. Mo lost to Pokizakhon Kamoldinova of Uzbekistan 10-0 by a khalol (a full point) in the event's final at Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall in Nagoya, Japan. Mo's silver is also the first kurash medal won by a female athlete since the wrestling-like sport was introduced to the Asian Games in 2018. South Korean male kurash wrestlers have won one silver and one bronze at the previous Asian Games. Kurash is a type of wrestling practiced in Central Asia. Athletes attempt to score by throwing their opponents, with a khalol, a throw that lands the opponent on their back, declared a victory, while other ground techniques are prohibited.

S. Korean fencers finish Asian Games with 4 golds, eye 2028 Olympics

Sep 28, 2026

S. Korean fencers finish Asian Games with 4 golds, eye 2028 Olympics

South Korea's fencing team wrapped up its Asian Games campaign with four gold medals, its lowest haul in 16 years, leaving behind both achievements and challenges ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. South Korea captured four golds, four silvers and two bronzes in the fencing competition, which ran from Tuesday to Sunday at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, south of Nagoya. In the fencing medal table, South Korea finished second behind host Japan, which won six golds, two silvers and three bronzes. It was the first time South Korea had lost the top position in fencing at the Asian Games since 2010, when the country first rose to the top with seven gold medals. Since then, South Korea had remained atop the standings, winning eight golds in 2014, and six each in 2018 and 2023. The host country's strength was widely expected, as Japan's fencing has made its presence felt on the world stage since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Japan won five fencing medals, including two golds, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and most of its Olympians competed at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. For South Korea, fencing off

Football forward Eom guards against complacency ahead of semifinal duel vs. China

Sep 28, 2026

Football forward Eom guards against complacency ahead of semifinal duel vs. China

NAGOYA, Japan — With Korea about to take on China in the semifinals of the Asiad men's football tournament this week, winger Eom Ji-sung said Monday the biggest threat to his team's gold medal chase may be complacency. "The moment we start taking wins for granted, we will fall apart," Eom said in a video released by the Korea Football Association (KFA) during the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Korea's under-23 team will face China at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, some 140 kilometers west of the main host city, Nagoya. Coached by Lee Min-sung, the young Taegeuk Warriors are trying to claim South Korea's fourth consecutive men's football gold medal. It has been mostly smooth sailing so far. Eom's hat trick powered South Korea past Qatar 4-1 in the first group stage match, and Korea blanked Saudi Arabia 2-0 to clinch the top spot in Group D. Then in the quarterfinals, Korea routed Vietnam 4-0. "The mood has been great in training sessions, after those wins in the group stage and the quarterfinals," Eom said. "Our attackers have been on fire. After I scored three times in the first

Men's handball coach praises players despite semifinal loss to Qatar at Asian Games

Sep 28, 2026

Men's handball coach praises players despite semifinal loss to Qatar at Asian Games

INAZAWA, Japan — After losing their berth in the men's handball final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, Korea's head coach praised his players for competing on equal terms with defending champion Qatar. "I told my players that I'm proud of them. We lost the match, but our players did well," said Cho Young-shin, who broke into tears after the semifinal. "I think our players' resolve and determination to win were much bigger than those of the opponent." Korea lost to Qatar 32-20 in the event's semifinal at Entrio in Inazawa, just northwest of Nagoya, Japan. The team fought a seesaw battle in the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half against Qatar, which is seeking its fourth consecutive Asian Games title. But Korea failed to make a comeback in the end. "From an objective perspective, the Qatari team, pursuing its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, is about seven to three better than us, I think," he said. "But our players played on equal terms for 60 minutes, never giving up and showing all they have." Korea had sought its first gold medal in men's handball since

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