Son salutes 'special' Spurs after gold spares striker military duty

JAKARTA - Son Heungmin will rejoin his Tottenham Hotspur teammates next week buzzing after his emotional roller coaster ride at the Asian Games in Jakarta.

The decision by Spurs to release Son for a far-flung, under-23 tournament already looks like a shrewd one after the striker led South Korea to a gold medal that spares him a potentially career-threatening stint of military service.

One of three permitted overage players in the Korean squad, the 26-year-old forward recently signed a new five-year deal with Tottenham and was quick to thank Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino after a 2-1 extra-time win over Japan on Saturday.