SK Group chief takes helm of S. Korean handball governing body

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, on Tuesday pledged aggressive financial support for South Korean handball players eyeing medals in the 2012 Olympics after being unanimously elected as head of the nation's handball governing body.

"SK will do whatever there is to do in the path to the 2012 London Games," Chey,
48, said in a statement read by his spokesman, Han Jeong-kyu. Chey was absent
from the ceremony in Seoul, as he was attending a business seminar out of town.
Chey, who has sponsored the largest domestic handball competition through his
company since 2007, will serve an approximately four-year term and lead the Korea
Handball Federation through to the London Olympics.
He won approval from 23 of the 25 ranking handball officials with voting rights,
and pledged to address the low popularity hounding the sport by helping to expand
the number of junior players in the country.
"He is the right pick because he has been unsparing in his support for handball,
which is not receiving enough attention, even though its players have been
recognized for their competence worldwide," Chung Hyung-kyun, vice head of the
federation, told reporters.