Asian Games: North, South Koreans compete together for 1st time

JAKARTA. KAZINFORM North and South Korean athletes played on the same team Wednesday for the first time at the Asian Games, the world's biggest multisport event after the Olympics, amid ongoing reconciliation efforts.

In its debut match at the Asian Games, a women's basketball team comprised of players from the two Koreas, wearing the same white uniform, smashed host nation Indonesia 108-40 ahead of the official opening of the quadrennial meet on Saturday, KYODO NEWS reports.

Every time the team scored, the venue in Jakarta was filled with passionate claps and cheers synchronized with loud drum-beating sounds from about 100 Korean fans wearing shirts with the unification flag on the front.

As requested by South Korea, the defending Asian Games women's basketball champions, North Korea contributed three players -- center Ro Suk Yong, guard Kim Hye Yon and guard Jang Mi Gyong -- to the 12-member roster for the five-on-five event.

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