"Super Saves" at Every Critical Moment... Defeating Japan to Claim the Championship

[Anchor]

The women's handball national team defeated its rival Japan to return to the top after eight years. Goalkeeper Park Sae-young delivered 12 crucial saves, leading the team to its 8th gold medal overall.

Reporter Hong Seok-jun has the story from the site.

[Reporter]

Having settled for a silver medal after a crushing 10-goal defeat to Japan in the previous tournament, our players gritted their teeth for a rematch three years later.

Veteran Ryu Eun-hee opened the scoring, fiercely driving the pressure on Japan from the start.

As shown in this sequence where Jeon Ji-yeon threw her body to intercept the opponent's ball and Kim Bo-eun finished off a fast, accurate pass from Ryu Eun-hee, all the players moved together like well-oiled gears.

The rear was solidly guarded by goalkeeper Park Sae-young.

She made seven saves in the first half alone, and when Japan emptied its goal to bring in an attacker, she even succeeded in scoring a long-distance goal by piercing the gap, helping the team take a four-point lead into halftime.

Park's show of saves was dazzling in the second half as well.

She delivered super saves amid the bad news of Ryu Eun-hee receiving a two-minute suspension, and maintained the lead with another decisive save when the team was chased down to a two-point margin.

With Park Sae-young shining brightly through 12 saves and a 41 percent save rate, the national team overcame crises and sealed the victory with Kwon Han-na's breakthrough goal.

At the moment the 27–23 victory and an undefeated championship in this tournament were confirmed, the players formed a circle and reveled in the joy of reclaiming the top spot after eight years.

[Park Sae-young / Women's Handball National Team Goalkeeper: I think it was an Asian Games gold medal achieved together through a great mix of youth and experience. The players promised each other to shake off all the regrets from Hangzhou today, and I think we were able to win because everyone was of one mind today.]

Sweeping 8 out of the 10 gold medals in this sport's history, the women's handball national team once again proved it is the strongest in Asia.

(Video by Won Hyeong-hee)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.