The latest news from the Korean peninsula amidst the Kim Jung Il- Noh Moo Hyun summit is that the two sides may send a joint team to 2008 Beijing Olympics, or in the case of basketball, to the Olympic Qualifier.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...136_11273.html
However, if the North insists on brining in 6 players to the basketball team, that's probably a disaster. The North is probably not terrible -- they were in the top 8 in 2002 Asian Games -- but they have not played in any serious international tournament since then and I really doubt that their players can compete in the international level. If the South had ~5% chance of qualifying, the South-North joint team, if having same number of players from each side, will have 0.5%.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...136_11273.html
Koreas Expected to Send Joint Team to Beijing
Former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyunBy Joint Press Corps, Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South and North Koreas took a big step toward making a unified Korean team for the Beijing Olympics next year.
Former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun, 62 said Wednesday that the two sides came near to an agreement during Inter-Korean exchanges with regard to sending a single Olympic team to the world sports event.
``We are close to a proposal that an equal number of athletes from each country will be selected for the contingent. The two Koreas will continue working-level talks,'' Jeong, chairman of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation and the special entourage representative, said.
He added that Kim Jung-kil, president of the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) suggested that the torch be relayed from Seoul to Beijing through the route President Roh Moo-hyun took on his way to Pyongyang. He added that the North has not given any definite answer.
Since December 2005, the two Koreas have discussed the possibility of a joint team on four occasions but have failed to reach a conclusion because of a disagreement on how to select athletes.
The South has insisted on choosing athletes based on their ability while the North wants the same number of athletes representing each side.
It is ball sports that impede the road to a unified Korea team due to a discrepancy in ability between the two nations.
However, South Korea said recently that it would accept the North's proposal of an even number of athletes in several events.
``Other than South Korea being the favorite in field hockey and handball, we can comply with North Korea's demands in football, baseball, basketball and volleyball,'' the KOC head said in an interview in August.
Former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyunBy Joint Press Corps, Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
South and North Koreas took a big step toward making a unified Korean team for the Beijing Olympics next year.
Former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun, 62 said Wednesday that the two sides came near to an agreement during Inter-Korean exchanges with regard to sending a single Olympic team to the world sports event.
``We are close to a proposal that an equal number of athletes from each country will be selected for the contingent. The two Koreas will continue working-level talks,'' Jeong, chairman of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation and the special entourage representative, said.
He added that Kim Jung-kil, president of the Korea Olympic Committee (KOC) suggested that the torch be relayed from Seoul to Beijing through the route President Roh Moo-hyun took on his way to Pyongyang. He added that the North has not given any definite answer.
Since December 2005, the two Koreas have discussed the possibility of a joint team on four occasions but have failed to reach a conclusion because of a disagreement on how to select athletes.
The South has insisted on choosing athletes based on their ability while the North wants the same number of athletes representing each side.
It is ball sports that impede the road to a unified Korea team due to a discrepancy in ability between the two nations.
However, South Korea said recently that it would accept the North's proposal of an even number of athletes in several events.
``Other than South Korea being the favorite in field hockey and handball, we can comply with North Korea's demands in football, baseball, basketball and volleyball,'' the KOC head said in an interview in August.
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