Hockey players paired up for Olympics

SEOUL - Female hockey players from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea were paired up with each other on Thursday to form their first Olympic squad during next month's Pyeongchang Winter Games, as their countries press ahead with rare reconciliation steps following a period of nuclear tensions.

A dozen DPRK hockey players wearing white-and-red winter parkas crossed the heavily fortified border into the ROK earlier on Thursday.

They traveled on to the athletes' village, where they were welcomed by their ROK teammates and coach Sarah Murray, who presented them flower bouquets in an outdoor welcoming ceremony.

"I sincerely welcome your arrival," Lee Jae-kun, head of the athletes' village, told the DPRK players.

Pak Chol-ho, a DPRK coach who arrived with the 12 athletes and two support staff, told reporters that he's happy to team up with ROK players. "I'm very pleased with the fact that we are united as one to participate in (the Olympics). I expect we'll see good results if we unite our efforts ... though we don't have much time," he said.

The Korean players later shouted "We are one!" and took a group photo. The players plan to practice separately for several days as Murray, who is from Canada, needs time to learn about the DPRK players.

All players were sharing the same locker room and the lockers of the DPRK players were deliberately placed between those of their ROK teammates so that they could become close quickly, according to Yonhap news agency.

The two countries fielded a single team to major sports events only twice, both in 1991. One event was the world table tennis championships and the other soccer's World Youth Championship. But this is the first time they've assembled a single team for the Olympics.

The neighbors explored how to cooperate in the Olympics after DPRK's top leader Kim Jong-un abruptly said in his New Year's address that he was willing to send an Olympic delegation.

As part of the rapprochement deals, they also agreed for their athletes to march together under a single flag during the Feb 9 opening ceremony.

Some experts said Pyongyang may want to use improved ties with Seoul as a way to weaken US-led international sanctions.

The International Olympic Committee has allowed 22 DPRK athletes, including the 12 hockey players, to compete in Pyeongchang in exceptional entries given to Pyongyang. The 10 others will compete in figure skating, short-track speedskating, Alpine skiing and cross-country skiing. They will come to the ROK on Feb 1.

Ap - Xinhua

(China Daily 01/26/2018 page12)