Taekwondo, Basketball Tumble on First Day of Universiade

North Koreans proved again that their women soccer is the Asia`s best. On the first day of the 2003 Summer Universiade in Daegu, the North Korean team snatched a victory over Germans and advanced to the quarterfinals.

South Korean Taekwondo hopeful Jo Ba-ro, however, was dropped out of the race at the second round. The men`s basketball team was also defeated by Russians and failed to advance to the next round.

At the group B match held in Kimcheon Sports Complex on Aug, 22, the North Korean women`s soccer team led by coach Kim Gwang-min, a key figure in the North Korean sports circle who led the national team`s 1997 King`s Cup win, beat Germans by 6 to 0. Lee Eun-sim, Mun Cheol-mi and Kim Young-ae were among those who scored goals.

With the German team already losing twice by French and North Korean teams, North Korea will be able to advance to the quarterfinals regardless of the result of the match with France.

Only 8 minutes into the game, Lee Eun-sim scored the first goal for the team, which finished the first half at 3 to 0. After the half time, Germans came back with a strong defense, but was soon pushed back by North Korean midfielders.

Meantime, South Korean Takwondo hopeful Jo Ba-ro, having beat Mexican Hasus Crespo at the first round, lost to Italian Carlo Mopeta by 12 to 14 at the second round.

At group A match held in Gumi Park Jung-hee Gymnasium, the South Korean men`s basketball team, lost to the tall Russian team by 71 to 75. Bang Sung-yoon led the team with 24 points against Russians, who are 2 meter tall on average. With one win and two losses, the team failed to advance to the next round, while Russians kept the lead with three wins.

Both South and North Koreans got off to a good start in Tennis and fencing. South Korean Kim Young-joon beat Budy Wijaya of Indonesia at a Tennis men`s single to advance to the third round, and Oh Seung-hoon and Kim Yeon scored an easy win over a Singaporean pair. North Korean mixed pair Yoon Yong-cheol and Yoo Young-hee also moved to the second round as the Lesoto team gave up the match.

In fencing, South Korean Kim Yoon-soo beat Austrian Shurose by 15 to 4 to join the second round, Ha Chang-deok also advanced to the second round without a match according to the results of the draw