Korean men and women handball players will get a second chance to qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Korean handball players claimed they lost out in previous qualifiers due to biased referees from the Middle East.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) decided to replay the Asian qualifier tournaments for the 2008 Olympic Games for both men and women. The federation made the decision at a board meeting Monday in Paris, France. The rematches will be held by January.

The Korean men lost to Kuwait in September's regional qualifiers, whereas the Korean women were defeated by Kazakhstan.

The IHF will oversee the new tournaments to prevent further controversy over umpiring decisions. The Asian Handball Federation usually hosts the regional qualifiers.

The IHF will elaborate on details such as the venues and timetable for the matches within the next three days.