North and South Korea host first friendly basketball game in 15 years

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"Peace" and "Prosperity". Such were the hopeful names of the Korean teams last night for a historic basketball game between the North and the South.

After the Winter Olympic Games in February and the table tennis world championships in May, sports diplomacy once again played an active role in the warming of relations in the Korean Peninsula. A 50-athlete delegation from South Korea crossed the border to play four friendly games in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.

The last basketball match between both countries dated back to 2003 in the same gymnasium. At the time the North Korean trounced their South neighbours 86-57.

Yesterday the teams were mixed with North and South Koreans in each team, offering the 12,000 spectators two nail-biters. Team "Prosperity" won the women's game (103-102) while the men's clash ended in a tie (102-102).

Led by the South's Unification Minister Cho Myong-gyon, the visit is the first since the summit held at Singapore between Trump and Kim Jong Un last month. Even though the North Korean leader was reportedly not present at the event, North's Vice-Minister of Sports Won Kil-u welcomed the South Koreans on Tuesday.

"I am proud that sport has stood at the forefront of opening this great path to reconciliation, peace and prosperity between North and South Korea" said Won Kil-u.

Tonight the players will play two other games, still without flags but this time with the teams divided by country.

At the coming Asian Games in Indonesia (18th August - 2nd September) both Korea's will line up joint teams in canoe, rowing and women's basketball. They have even planned to march together under the unified peninsula flag.