Women's World Cup - North Korea blame lightning for loss
North Korea's coach came up with a novel excuse as to why his side lost their opening match of the women's World Cup to the USA in Dresden, Germany.
The USA won the match 2-0 thanks to goals from Lauren Cheney and Rachel Buehler but the Koreans' coach Kim Kwang Min said they lost because several of his players were struck by lightning almost a month ago.
"When we stayed in Pyongyang during training there was an unexpected accident so our team was not capable of playing," explained the coach.
"Our players were hit by lightning during a training match. More than five were hospitalised. The match was on 8 June.
"The goalkeeper and the four defenders were most affected (by the lightning).
"The physicians said the players were not capable of participating in the tournament. … The fact that they played could be called abnormal, the result of very strong will."
One could hardly blame coach Kim for looking for an excuse for his team's defeat after what reportedly happened to the men's North Korean team after their disappointing performance at last summer's World Cup in South Africa.
Back then, Radio Free Asia and South Korean media claimed the team's coach and players were forced onto a stage at the People's Palace of Culture in front of 400 government officials, students and journalists.
Reports said the players were subjected to six hours of criticism for their performance at the World Cup, their first appearance since 1966.
North Korea is a highly-secretive autocracy, run by dictator Kim Jong-il, which has fractious relations with most of the Western world and is on a constant state of near-conflict with neighbours South Korea.
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and so they decide to use drugs:)
@#$% ! The funniest story ive ever heard after losing a match ! This guy can join Fergie in moaning ! LOL
What the coach was saying was an excuse, but I can't blame him. He would have said the same had 5 of his players suffered from food poisoning. Interesting that he had no excuse for losing to Sweden, but then again, Sweden is not known as the great enemy the DPRK considers the USA. It's not racism to decry the awful tragedy that is North Korea. They are starving, have no hope of freedom and with nuclear weapons and extreme paranoia (the leaders) are extremely dangerous. One can only hope and pray the regime falls soon and the Korean people are reunited.
thats it. it waz tha lightnin. nofin tae do wif tha fact that yer s hite. nofin atall.
I would have expected an electrifying performance.
And good gods, the average IQ on these boards must be in double figures...
Seriously people, you actually make me feel ashamed to even speak the same language as you ignorant little hypocrites. Reading the majority of posts on these boards it's not hard to believe that the Western bubble burst so dramatically. Yes: North Korea is probably not a pleasant place to live at all. Of course, that's true of about 2/3 of the world, so rather than taking cheap shots at the expense of those less fortunate than you from behind your keyboards, maybe you could summon a little common decency.
Not a single person has commented on the fact that, given the constant furor surrounding the English Football team, it's very fortunate for all of us that we live in Democratic, relatively free, states.
As for those bashing Communism and waving the Capitalist flag: I'm guessing you're barely finished bashing the failings of the Western Financial institutions that brought about the Global Recession.
I swear to god, you jumped up little keyboard-warriors make me sick to my stomach.
Oh, and if the team's coach feels so deeply ashamed that he had to come up with something that extreme to try to save face, maybe now might be a give them the benefit of the doubt.
Hell, I seem to recall England drawing with the USA in the last World Cup, so the American team destroying North Korea shouldn't come as any great surprise to anyone.
@ 130 - Huw from Wales.
Well said.
Looks like its the firing squad or Chinese water torture for him then when he gets home. I bet he's already been tied up gagged and put in a wooden crate marked 'Diplomatic Pouch' direct to North korea
SHOCKING!, but a bright spark to come up with that ides, best they make a BOLT for the southern border
Shocking.
Reading some staggeringly racist comments for the year 2011.
Unbelievable that some people can still have these opinions, maybe they don't own a passport and have never been out their garden gate. Social retards.
North Korea is not a democracy, so the people are not in control of the actions of their leader, Kim Jong-il or whomever. So giving the people of N Korea stick is a little unfair.
Giving stick to the people of democratic countries, who have fair elections and still vote in complete retards.. Now that is fair :)
Lightning killed 16 Ugandan schoolkids? That's weird, she always seemed so nice when she was on Gladiators.
Nice looking and determined girls.
Fraid I agree with Robyn
Lightning killed 16 school kids in Uganda (the school had no lightning protectors which is mandatory in all modern buidlings these days) see BBC website so it is possible it happened - given their infastructures so please don't laugh or make fun ok?
They look like men. Are they trying to cheat? Was a gender test made on any of them?
Really? I thought it was because half the team's named Kim, nobody could decide which Kim the coach was talking to...
Their women? oh. They look like the mens team. Sorry its not like the germans.
MMMM Excellent excuse. However, I believe David Blunkett used that one when he flew the red flag atop, Sheffield Town Hall. He actaully could have used the blind excuse, He has for everything else
are there no funbags in North Korea
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