16-Day Run Ends, Leaving Homework for South Korean Sports

[Anchor]

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded its 16-day run with the closing ceremony just a moment ago. While our national team delivered deep emotions through dramas woven with sweat and tears, the Games also highlighted the widening gap with China and Japan, as South Korea finished with its fewest gold medals in 44 years.

Reporting from Nagoya, here is Ha Seong-nyong.

[Reporter]

An Se-young stepped forward with a pledge to go "crazy," overwhelmed her opponents, wrote a new chapter of history with consecutive titles, and stood tall as the greatest of all time.

[An Se-young / National Badminton Team : It is truly crazy. The feeling is crazy, too. I think I will enjoy being called the GOAT a little bit today.]

Oh Sang-uk, selected as the MVP of our delegation, claimed two consecutive double crowns through a miraculous four-consecutive-point comeback despite a back injury. Alongside the men's and women's basketball teams that reignited their fighting spirit to restore pride against Japan, 790 Taegeuk warriors gave everything they had in Nagoya.

The spirit of the teenage rising stars, the grit of veterans who refused to give up, and the fierce determination of athletes in less-popular sports who flew higher, faster, and stronger despite sorrowful conditions resonated deeply.

[Kim Hyo-bin / National Canoe Team (Two-crown winner) : Since there was nowhere proper to train, I hope they could provide more active support for equipment.]

At the same time, South Korean sports confirmed significant homework ahead.

Capped by the men's football team's historic four-peat, we secured 39 gold medals, but for the first time since the 1982 New Delhi Games, failed to reach the 40-gold mark. Marking a downward trend for three consecutive tournaments, the gap with China and Japan widened further.

Amid the rapid rise of athletes from Central Asia alongside China and Japan, combined with slumps in traditional powerhouse events like archery, taekwondo, and swimming, our national delegation faces an emergency as preparations begin for the Los Angeles Olympics two years from now.

[SEUNGMIN / President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee : I am certain that (this competition) can serve as a great catalyst to receive more motivation, and I believe our role is to provide precise and scaled support.]

To move forward as a stronger Team Korea, precise analysis and cold evaluation across each discipline appear essential.

(Video by Park Hyun-chul | Video Editing by Hwang Ji-young | Graphics by Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.