Son Heung-min is all smiles as he returns to Tottenham Hotspur training pitch after completing militiary service in South Korea (Source: AP/Spurs Twitter)
After completing a three-week compulsary military training in South Korea last week, Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min returned to North London, where he joined others ahead of Premier League return in June.
Football and sports in general was brought to a hault throughout the world due to the global pandemic Covid-19 as countries issued lockdowns to control the virus.
The social media handle of Spurs tweeted a picture of a smiling Son on the ground with the caption, “Look who is back.” He took part in a session at Hotspur Way Training Ground on Tuesday. The forward has not played since fracturing his arm in a league match against Aston Villa on February 16.
Look who’s back! 😍#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/QCUlJSqtV6
— Tottenham Hotspur (at 🏡) (@SpursOfficial) May 19, 2020
Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min completed a three-week basic military training course in South Korea on Friday and picked up an award as the top performer among 157 trainees. “He received the ‘Pilsung’ prize which is one of five types of awards for best performers,” Yonhap quoted a Marine Corps officer at the unit on the southern island of Jeju as saying.
Trainees are exposed to tear gas, go on hikes, and receive weapons training during their stint with the marines.
It is compulsary for all able-bodied South Korean men to serve around two years in the military but athletes who win gold at the Asian Games or a medal of any colour at the Olympics receive exemptions. After completing the training course, Son, who led his country to gold in the 2018 Asian Games, still has to undertake 544 hours of community service over the next 34 months.
A total of 748 tests were conducteed across the Premier League out of which six tested positive including players and staff.