▲ South Korean archers Kim Woo-jin, Lee Woo-seok, and Kim Je-deok walk toward the target with bright smiles after defeating Tajikistan to advance to the quarterfinals of the men's recurve team event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The South Korean national recurve archery teams, widely considered the world's best, are revving up their engines for a clean sweep at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The men's and women's team events, along with the mixed team event, will kick off their semifinals starting at 9:00 a.m. today (the 2nd) at the multipurpose grounds of Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
A total of 10 gold medals are up for grabs in archery at this competition, with five each in compound and recurve events.
Compound archery uses bows equipped with pulleys and sights for higher precision, an event where India traditionally shows strength.
Recurve archery uses traditional bows without mechanical assistance, an event in which South Korea is universally acknowledged as the undisputed powerhouse.
The women's recurve team, consisting of Kang Chae-young, Oh Ye-jin, and Lee Yoon-ji, will face Indonesia in the team semifinals.
If they advance to the final, they will clash for the gold medal against the winner of the match between India and China.
The men's team, led by Kim Je-deok, Kim Woo-jin, and Lee Woo-seok, will face Taiwan in the semifinals and, upon victory, will compete for the championship against the winner between India and Iran.
In the mixed team event as well, a victory over China would set up a final showdown against the winner of the India-Japan match.
In the men's and women's individual quarterfinals taking place on the 3rd, Lee Woo-seok, Kang Chae-young, and Oh Ye-jin have advanced and will eye additional gold medals.
Meanwhile, the League of Legends eSports national team, led by "Faker" Lee Sang-hyeok, will aim for their second consecutive title at the tournament in the final held at Aichi Sky Expo starting at 12:00 p.m.
Combat sports are also anticipating a rare double gold medal performance.
Kim Min-jong in the men's over-100kg judo division and Lee Hyun-ji in the women's over-78kg division are preparing for gold-winning throws.
Kim Min-jong, a silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is tightening his judogi collar as he heads toward the Asian summit.
Fearsome rookie Lee Hyun-ji, who secured her spot on the national team by defeating 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games champion Kim Ha-yun, is also a top contender for the gold.
In boxing, hopes are high for the first gold medal in 12 years.
Jang Dong-hwan in the men's 60kg division and Kim Min-sung in the 80kg division are tuning up their gold-medal punches as they prepare to face Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan and Ankush of India, respectively.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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