The bronze medal match against the Dominican Republic at the Tokyo Olympics held at Yokohama Stadium on the 7th. Seunghwan Oh bows his head after allowing a double RBI double to Dominica Francisco in a situation of 1 company 2nd and 3rd in the 8th inning. [연합뉴스]
The ‘military service benefits’, which attracted attention as Korean baseball stopped at the Olympic ‘No Medal’, also ceased to exist.
The baseball team, led by coach Kim Kyung-moon, lost the bronze medal match against the Dominican Republic 6-10 at the Tokyo Olympics held at Yokohama Stadium in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on the 7th. It was a situation in which the 2nd consecutive championship was canceled as they had already failed to advance to the finals. He aimed for the beauty of Yoo Jong with a bronze medal, but finished the competition in 4th place.
As a result, the ‘military service benefits’ of players who have not completed military service have also disappeared. According to the Special Military Service Act, which has been in effect since 1973, if you win an Olympic bronze medal or a gold medal in the Asian Games, you are considered to have completed your military service after completing 4 weeks of basic military training. If military service obligations are fulfilled, a gap of about two years is inevitable, so all players want ‘military service benefits’. A career break is fatal for a professional player. Above all, it is sensitive because it can directly affect the timing of obtaining FA (free agent) qualifications and advancing overseas.
The chances of a medal at the Tokyo Olympics were very high. ‘Asian rival’ Taiwan did not participate in the competition due to concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Cuba, ‘probably the strongest’, failed to qualify for the Americas. However, the national team failed to enter the medal right after being caught in the Dominican Republic after the United States and Japan.
At the Tokyo Olympics, 7 out of 24 finalists had not completed military service. Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions), Park Se-woong, Kim Jin-wook (Lotte Giants), Lee Eui-ri (KIA Tigers), Jo Sang-woo, Kim Hye-seong (Kiwoom Heroes), Kang Baek-ho (KT Wiz) wanted to receive even a bronze medal and receive military service benefits. However, the tournament ended empty-handed.
The most sensitive one is ancestors. Kim Jin-wook and Lee Ui-ri, newcomers this year, are young, so they can expect benefits from military service based on their performance in future international competitions. But ancestors are different. Born in September 1994, he is close to the age of 27, the maximum age to apply for the Sangmu Baseball Team. He wanted a medal at the Tokyo Olympics more than anyone else. Although the will was strong enough to appear in 6 out of 7 matches played by the national team, the result was different from expectations. I was in a situation where I had to return to my team and decide where to go.
Yokohama = Reporter Bae Joong-hyun bae.junghyune@joongang.co.kr
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