Ex-Korean handball star earns seat on WADA Athlete Committee

Former South Korean handball player Hong Jeong-ho has won a seat on the World Anti-Doping Agency's Athlete Committee, the sports ministry here said Friday.

The appointment was made at the anti-doping regulator's board meeting in Seoul on Thursday. The 43-year-old will have a three-year term, representing athletes' rights until 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said.

Hong is one of four new members of the panel. It was established in 2015 and is chaired by former Canadian cross-country skier Beckie Scott.

In this file photo taken on Aug. 15, 2008, South Korean handball player Hong Jeong-ho (C) tries to shoot the ball during a match against Brazil at the Beijing Olympics. (Yonhap)

Hong is the second South Korean to join the committee after Olympic gold-medal winning archer Kim Soo-nyung in 2015.

Hong was a member of the South Korean women's national handball team that won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and silver at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. She also has a bronze medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Hong, who had pro career in Norway, Denmark and Japan, retired after the Beijing Games and worked for the Asian Handball Federation as well as the International University Sports Federation.

The ministry said it will give full support for Hong, adding that her appointment will strengthen the country's sports diplomacy efforts. (Yonhap)