DAEGU, South Korea, 23 August 2003 — North Korea, always at the center of attention at the World Student Games following their threat to boycott, notched their first win of the tournament as their women’s football team whitewashed Germany 6-0.
The reigning Asian champions, who were playing a virtual home fixture given the strength of local support, put three past the Germans in each half with five different players getting on the scoresheet.
The Germans gave up the ghost on the hour-mark when Sok Chun-Myong stuck the fifth past keeper Verena Volz with a strong hint of offside. Volz then showed her frustration by fumbling a cross straight to the feet of Sok, who gratefully snapped up her second goal in two minutes.
North Korea had threatened to pull out of the competition, only the second international event they have attended in South Korea, after anti-Pyongyang protests in Seoul. In the men’s competition, Nigeria’s tournament ended before it had started when they were disqualified for failing to turn up on time for their match with the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile Japan got off to a convincing start with a 3-0 victory over South Africa. Masato Yamakazi scored either side of half-time for the young Japanese, many of whom will have one eye on the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
A 32nd-minute goal from Carlos Balderas was enough for Mexico to beat Ukraine, making it a double for Mexico as their women saw off New Zealand 4-0.
In other action, 27-year-old Haydar Bakir became the first Iraqi to compete in taekwondo at the Games. However, he lost his first-round bout to Russia’s Viacheslav Mitrofanov.
Russia disappointed local fans with a narrow men’s basketball victory against South Korea while Canada prevailed in a hard-fought match against Bulgaria.
Sweden beat Japan and Serbia and Montenegro beat Mexico while Turkey and Australia scored wins against Kazakhstan and Germany respectively.
