Sung-Won Choi is already out in Asia

SEOUL - The Asian championship, with a reward of eighty ranking points for the winner, has been launched today with the remarkable elimination of the world champion Sung-Won Choi. The Korean lost the opening match against the number one of his country, Jung Han Heo, 40-35 in 27 innings. The loss in the first round means for Sung-Won Choi that he must his number one position on the world ranking now with Belgian Eddy Merckx.

The Asian championship in the Grand Hotel in Seoul started off with 32 players, including the main Korean favorites, the best Vietnamese and Japanese players. The schedule in this first (knockout) round coupled many compatriots together.

The defending champion, Kyung-Roul Kim, was outplayed by his fellow countryman Chi Yeon Cho (40-37 in 33), therefor he lost his position in the top twelve of the world. The big Kim even drops to the sixteenth place. Also the number two of the previous edition, O Takeshima, is already out of the tournament after his loss against Takehira Onodera.

Another Korean clash was between the four-time Junior world champion Haeng-Jik Kim and Dong-Koong Kang, who was the first winner of a World Cup in Korea. Haeng Jik Kim won the mutual match 40-27 in sixteen innings.

Jae Ho Cho even played a better match: a triumph against Hyung Bum Hwang (finalist in the World Cup in Hurghada) in 14 innings (40-21).

Jae Ho Cho was the best player on the first day with a win (40) in fourteen innings.

Other results in this first round with 32 players:

Kwang Yeol Park (Korea) beats Hideaki Kobayashi (Japan) 40-31 in 28.

Durk Hee Hwang (Kor) defeats Yusuke Mori (Jap) 40-25 in 26.

Anh Vu Duong (Vietnam) defeats Yoichiro Mori (Jap) after 40-40 by penalty shots: 3-2.

Quyet Chien Tran (Viet) beats Minh Cam Ma (Viet) 40-24 in 28.

Choong-Bok Lee (Korea) beats Minh Thien Vuong (Viet) 40-25 in 33.

Tatsuo Arai (Jap) defeats Hyun-Min Seo (Kor) 40-21 in 24.

Takehira Onodera (Jap) beats O Takeshima (Jap) 40-24 in 26.

Hyung Kon Kim (Korea) beats Huu Tinh Le met 40-14 in 28.

Dinh Nai Ngo (Viet) defeats Nobuyasu Sakai (Jap) met 40-24 in 28.