Brave Kings and Kagawa Bank to Compete in Korea-Japan Handball Super Match

The Japanese men's and women's teams set to compete in the Shinhan Super SOL 2026 Korea-Japan Handball Club Super Match, which will be held at Jinnam Gymnasium in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, on the 20th, have been confirmed.

The Korea Handball Federation announced that Brave Kings Kariya (men's) and Kagawa Bank Girasol (women's) will participate in the tournament.

Both teams were selected as representatives of Japan after winning their respective recent playoffs.

Representing Korea are the Incheon Urban Corporation (men's) and SK Sugar Gliders (women's), both of which achieved combined titles by winning both the regular league and the championship series.

Incheon Urban Corporation, which enjoyed a 14-game winning streak in the regular league, is a team noted for its perfect balance between offense and defense.

In particular, the team boasts powerful firepower from its trio of Lee Yo-seob (166 goals), Kim Jin-young (121 goals), and Kim Rak-chan (102 goals), who swept the regular league MVP and top scorer awards.

Brave Kings, which won the combined title in Japan's League H, is based in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture, and suffered only one loss (25 wins) this season.

The team is led by 192cm-tall Andre Gomes (130 goals), a former member of the Portuguese national team who utilizes his overwhelming physical condition to lead the scoring. Along with Japanese national team players Itsuki Yoshino (137 goals) and Naoki Sugioka (102 goals), the team has displayed formidable firepower, averaging 36.8 goals per game.

The SK Sugar Gliders, having achieved the milestone of three consecutive combined championships, will challenge for the title with a star-studded lineup of national team-caliber players.

Japan's rising powerhouse, Kagawa Bank, is a corporate team based in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, that also achieved a combined championship.

This tournament is a big match designed to revitalize exchanges between the handball leagues of the two countries, improve performance, and promote the development of the leagues.

The winner of the single-match showdown will receive a prize of 5 million won.

(Photo: Provided by Korea Handball Federation, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.