OLYMPIC QUALIFIER REPLAYS: Dominant South Koreans crush Japan's Olympic dreams

Powered by Peak Won Chul, South Korea downed Japan 28-25 Wednesday in an Asian qualifying replay at Tokyo's Yoyogi Gymnasium as the away side earned a berth to the Beijing Olympics this summer.

It will be the South Koreans third straight appearance at the Olympics.

South Korea became the sixth team to qualify for the Beijing Olympics, following Germany, China, Denmark, Brazil and Egypt. The loser will play in the 12-team final qualifiers May 30-June 1 for the other six spots. Japan will play with Croatia, Russia and Algeria.

On Wednesday, Japan took a 2-1 lead by Yoshio Nakagawa's goal five minutes from the start, but it never retook the lead after South Korea tied it up.

"When our time came during the game, we weren't able to score successfully," ace Daisuke Miyazaki said. "But we still have a chance to go to Beijing."

"When we lost in last year's qualifier in Toyoda, I wasn't too upset," added captain Nakagawa, this time clearly upset as he held back tears. "Today, we were officiated by fair refs and we lost."

The International Handball Federation sent French referees for the replay.

After halftime, Japan reduced the lead by two with four consecutive goals, but South Korea answered back with three consecutive scores.

Peak, who plays for Japan's Daido Steel, netted nine times to lead the South Korean attack.

Japan's goalkeeper Toshihiro Tsubone had a terrific game, stopping an onslaught of decisive shots, including thwarting South Korean ace Yoon Kyung Shin, a seven-time scoring leader in the German handball league. Tsubone held the prolific Yoon to just two scores

"I was happy I could play in front of such a large crowd," Miyazaki said after Japan's loss. "But it's very disappointing we could not win."

South Korea won the silver medal in Seoul among its five Olympic appearances while Japan hasn't made the Olympics since the 1988 Seoul Games, where it finished 11th.

The rematch was organized by the International Handball Federation. Japan and South Korea had protested the Asian Handball Federation over questionable calls by Middle East referees in last year's Asian qualifiers.

The two countries have since proposed that the Asian body should be divided into eastern and western parts.(IHT/Asahi: January 31,2008)