South Korea’s women handball squad has won a ticket to the Beijing Olympics, ending a tortuous path through the qualifiers.

The team, led by Coach Lim Young-chul, beat Ivory Coast 38-21 on Sunday in a match held in Nimes, France. Having tied with France earlier the previous day, the Korean squad ranked second in its group in the Olympic qualifying round governed by the International Handball Federation (IHF).

The victory was regarded all the more significant given the difficulties faced by the team in winning an Olympic berth.

South Korea and Japan took part in the replay of the Asian qualifiers early this January, while teams from the Middle East and Kazakhstan sat out in protest.

The rematches were held after Seoul and Tokyo filed claims of referee bias in the original qualifiers held last September.

The IHF ordered a rematch in December but other countries dismissed the order except South Korea and Japan. In the original qualifier, the South Korean women's team had lost to Kazakhstan.

This will be the seventh straight time for the South Korean handball team to compete in the Olympic games. South Korea has won two gold medals and three silvers on the Olympic stage.