▲ The South Korean sepak takraw national team competing in a men's team regu preliminary match.
The South Korean sepak takraw national team finished the first day of the men's quadrant (four-player event) preliminaries at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with one win and one loss, keeping their medal hopes alive.
South Korea faced Indonesia and Singapore in Group B of the men's quadrant preliminaries held at the Mizuho Park Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan, on the 30th, recording a loss and a victory.
Composed of striker Jung Ha-sung (Cheongju City Hall), Sunoo Young-su (Gangwon State Council), feeder Jung Won-deok (Cheongju City Hall)—who distributes the ball to the striker—and tekong Lee Woo-jin (Cheongju City Hall)—who is in charge of serves—South Korea suffered a 0-2 (8-15, 7-15) defeat to Indonesia in their first match held in the morning.
Indonesia is a powerhouse that won the inaugural title at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where the quadrant event was first introduced as an Asian Games sport, and secured the silver medal behind Myanmar at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.
Competing in the men's quadrant for the first time, South Korea bounced back in their second match against Singapore in the afternoon, winning 2-0 (15-9, 15-11) to claim their first-ever victory in the event at the Asian Games.
Our national team will play their final preliminary match against host nation Japan at 9:00 AM on October 2.
If they finish within the top two of Group B, they will advance to the semifinals at 3:30 PM on the same day, having secured at least a bronze medal.
Eight countries are participating in this tournament.
After a group stage divided into two groups of four teams each, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, competing in a cross-tournament for a spot in the finals.
There is no third-place playoff, and bronze medals are awarded to both teams that lose in the semifinals.
Group A consists of Vietnam, India, Myanmar, and Laos.
A total of six gold medals are up for grabs in sepak takraw at this competition.
Competitions will be held for gold medals in the men's regu (three-player event), quadrant, and team regu, as well as the women's double (two-player event), quadrant, and team regu.
Each country is allowed to participate in only two events for both men and women, with South Korea choosing the men's quadrant and team regu, and the women's double and team regu.
The men's quadrant is South Korea's final event of this competition.
South Korea won a silver medal in the women's team regu and a bronze medal in the double, while failing to pass the group stage in the men's team regu.
(Photo courtesy of Korea Sepaktakraw Association, Yonhap News)
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