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| ▲ In this file photo from June 16, 2021, Kim Kyung-moon, manager of the South Korean Olympic baseball team, announces his 24-man roster for the Tokyo Games at the Korea Baseball Organization headquarters in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This image provided by the World Baseball Softball Confederation on June 29, 2021, shows the groups and schedule for the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This image provided by the World Baseball Softball Confederation on June 29, 2021, shows the knockout bracket for the Tokyo Olympic baseball tournament. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
baseball-Olympics
S. Korea to face Israel, U.S. in group stage at Olympic baseball tournament
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, June 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will open its Olympic baseball gold medal defense against Israel and the United States next month in Japan.
The Switzerland-based World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) announced groups and the schedule for the baseball tournament at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday (local time). Six teams have been divided into two groups.
South Korea, world No. 3, is in Group B as the second-highest ranked team in the tournament, along with No. 4 United States (third highest in the tournament) and No. 24 Israel (lowest ranked).
Group A features world No. 1 Japan, No. 5 Mexico and No. 7 Dominican Republic. They are the highest, fourth-highest and fifth-highest ranked teams in the Olympics.
World No. 2 Chinese Taipei pulled out of the qualifying tournament earlier this month, citing COVID-19 concerns.
South Korea won the baseball gold medal in 2008, when the sport was last contested at a Summer Olympics. It will return to the competition in the baseball-crazed Japan.
The opening ceremony for the once-postponed Olympics is July 23. The host country will face the Dominican Republic for the opening game on July 28 at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium. All remaining group and knockout games will take place at Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo.
South Korea's first game is against Israel at 7 p.m. on July 29. It will then take on the Americans at 7 p.m. on July 31.
The knockout phase will go on from Aug. 1-4 and will have a double-elimination format.
The top seeds from each group will advance directly to the second round of the knockouts. The two second-place finishers and the two third-place teams will play each other, with the winners advancing to the second round.
Losing teams will meet in the losers' bracket, which provides countries a new chance to stay alive and keep advancing.
The bronze medal and gold medal games are set for Aug. 7, the eve of the closing ceremony.
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