Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
South Korea rejects North Korea poisoning claim
South Korea has rejected claims by North Korea that it poisoned its players before last week's 2010 World Cup qualifier in Seoul, as tensions mounted over the North's long-range rocket launch on Sunday.
Kim Joo-sung, (South) Korean Football Association (KFA) international affairs chief, said the accusations were politically motivated and baseless.
"The statement sets a high political tone, not about the sport itself. There's no need to respond to it," Kim was quoted as saying by South Korean news agency Yonhap on Monday.
"If an accident happens during training or transit, and it affects the match, the host country should take responsibility for the accident. But matters related to hotels or the food are the responsibility of the visiting team."
