Lee Ji-hyuk, the captain of the South Korean national football team, apologized for his boast about avoiding mandatory military service after his country won the gold medal in the Asian Games.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that the South Korean team defeated its Japanese counterpart, the host, 1-0 in the final match, after which Lee raised his gold medal and announced in his celebration that he “will not go to the army.”
The 26-year-old player said, in a post on social media, reported by local media, that he “deeply apologizes to the fans who are currently performing their military duty, as well as to all those who supported us sincerely.”
In most cases, men in South Korea are required to perform active military service for a period ranging between 18 and 21 months before reaching the age of 28.
But the government grants Asian Games champions and Olympic medal winners, regardless of the color of the medal, an exemption from military service, with only basic training lasting less than a month.
Golfer Tom Kim also avoided military service after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games.
Among the athletes who previously obtained this exemption is Son Heung-min, the former Tottenham player, who performed military service for only 3 weeks in 2020, after contributing to South Korea’s victory in the Asian Games gold two years earlier.
“As an adult, I should have thought carefully before I spoke,” said Lee, who was one of three players over the age of 23 in the South Korean U-23 national team and plays for Gangwon FC in the South Korean League.
He added: “I deeply regret speaking so rashly, and I will continue to reflect on my actions.”
He continued: “I sincerely apologize to all the fans who supported us wholeheartedly and who are doing their utmost to perform their military duty.”
The Italian police issued surveillance orders against 22 fanatical fans as part of the investigation into the clashes that occurred during the local summit between Torino and Juventus in the Italian Football League last May.
These people belong to ultras groups affiliated with Juventus and Torino, which clashed outside the “Olympic Stadium” in Turin on May 24, in the final round of last season, and the match ended in a 2-2 draw. The police accused them, in a statement on Tuesday, of throwing bottles, stones and explosive devices.
9 policemen were injured while trying to separate the two rival groups. A 36-year-old Juventus fan was also seriously injured in the head after being hit by a tear gas canister during the unrest.
The precautionary measures, which were taken in coordination with the police in a number of cities in northern Italy, impose a ban on residence in Turin and an obligation to submit regular reports to the local authorities.
20 other fans, accused of involvement in the clashes, were also prevented from entering the stadiums.
Juventus and Torino are scheduled to face off again in the Italian League at Allianz Stadium, Juventus’ stronghold, on January 6, 2027, which is a national holiday in Italy.
Italian rider Giulio Ciccone has objected to a speeding decision that resulted in him losing the European Cycling Championships road race to Remco Ivanpol in Slovenia on Sunday.
Ciccone overtook Evanpoel a few hundred meters before the finish line, and appeared to be on his way to victory before the Belgian caught up with him, and the two crossed the finish line side by side.
“The winner of the title was determined by a difference of 0.0028 seconds, that is, 2.8 thousandths of a second,” Ciccone wrote on social media on Monday.
He added: “I watched the available footage hundreds of times, and in the footage that shows the finish line, I constantly see something that I cannot reconcile with this ruling.”
The European Cycling Union, the tournament organizer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside official working hours in Switzerland.
Ciccone (31 years old) said that the officials and technical staff of his federation had already explained to him the criteria used to interpret the light lead.
He added: “I do not ask for another explanation. "I ask to see a photo of the finish line that exactly matches the actual finish line."
He continued: “I would like to see, clearly and without a doubt, our bikes the moment they cross the point that the regulations stipulate determines the finish line.”
Ciccone, a Liddell Trek rider, confirmed that Ivanpool competed “like a champion.”
He continued: “My respect for him is enormous, and it was never in doubt.”
