The deepening imprint of Asia on the global map Premium
The Hindu
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, three AFC sides — South Korea, Japan and Australia — made it to the knockouts, forcing the footballing heavyweights to sit up and take notice
With the full-time whistle against Portugal, Son Heung-Min, the captain of South Korea, removed his face mask, knelt on the ground and broke down in tears.
The Koreans had made it beyond the group stage after 12 years – three World Cups – and this time there were no accusations of ‘robbery’ or ‘thieves of dreams’ against them.
But Korea was not alone from the continent which had impressed in Qatar.
Just the second World Cup to be hosted in Asia after 2002, this edition has seen a seismic shift in team dimensions in the tournament.
Three countries from the Asian Football Confederation made it into the pre-quarterfinals for the first time.
First, Lionel Messi – one of the finest ever to embrace the game, with 95 international goals and donning the No. 10 jersey of Diego Maradona – saw his team open the tournament with a loss to Saudi Arabia.
“It’s a very hard blow for everyone, we didn’t expect to start like this,” repented the seven-time Ballon D’Or.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.