▲ South Korea's women's national handball team expresses strong determination to win at a media day event
The South Korean women's national handball team, competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has voiced its determination to seek revenge against archrival Japan and reclaim the gold medal after eight years.
During a media day event held on the 9th at the Oryun-gwan Handball Gymnasium in the Jincheon National Training Center, North Chungcheong Province, the women's national team showed high motivation to overcome Japan through solid teamwork and unified organization.
The press conference was attended by head coach Lee Gye-chung, along with acting team captain Kwon Han-na (center back/left back), Ryu Eun-hee (right back), Woo Bit-na (center back/left back), Lee Yeon-kyung (center back/left back), and Park Sae-young (goalkeeper), who all shared their resolve.
Head coach Lee, who led the team to victory at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and is returning to helm the national team at the Asian Games after eight years, emphasized, "Through four rounds of training starting in May, we have finalized our 16-player roster. We will make sure to win happily as one team."
"I want to show a drama-like victory," he added.
South Korea, which has long considered itself the powerhouse of Asia, suffered a blow to its pride at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games by suffering a crushing 19-29 defeat to Japan in the final, trailing by 10 points.
Coach Lee stressed, "We have made up our minds firmly that we cannot fail twice. We will combine physical fitness, experience, and a balance of veterans and rookies, approaching the tournament with a mental strength two to three times stronger, and with the mindset that we are starting at a 0-5 deficit against Japan since the competition is being held in hostile territory."
The Asian Games women's handball tournament, featuring seven nations, will determine the champion through a full round-robin format.
The final match against Japan scheduled for the 27th will effectively serve as the final.
As a strategy against Japan, coach Lee, the coaching staff, and the players noted that the playing styles of South Korea and Japan are similar, predicting that teamwork and defense will decide the outcome.
Coach Lee stated, "We conceded many points in the final of the last tournament due to a weak defense, but this time we have reinforced our defense and speed."
Kwon Han-na, a member of the gold-medal-winning squad at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the all-time leading scorer in the women's division of the Handball H League with 1,516 goals, responded, "Defense is crucial. Our teamwork has become stronger than ever, so I have high expectations."
Ryu Eun-hee, a world-class attacker making her fourth Asian Games appearance since the 2010 Guangzhou Games, said, "While we must keep Japan in check, we also need to prepare for China. We prepared for China by enhancing our ability to cope with taller players during our European training camp."
Ryu has collected one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the Asian Games.
Ryu expressed a strong desire for the gold medal, saying, "I have no good memories of tournaments held in China, such as the 2022 Hangzhou Games (silver medal) and the 2010 Guangzhou Games (bronze medal). Especially after the Hangzhou Games (following the defeat in the final), as a senior player, it was extremely difficult and my emotions were not good. I want to pay them back this time."
Kwon Han-na and Ryu Eun-hee, both aged 36 to 37 in Korean age, serve as the eldest sisters of the national team. They firmly stated that they will act as a smooth bridge of communication between the players and the coaching staff to ensure everyone can return home with a smile.
Goalkeeper coach Kang Il-goo shared, "If we can keep Japan's scoring under 25 points, I think we have a winning chance. With many Japanese players active in Europe, we are practicing how to block long shots and fast breaks."
The goal for the South Korean team will be guarded by Park Sae-young, who has claimed the H League's best goalkeeper award for three consecutive years.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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