Squash Team Aims for Second Straight Women's Team Medal at Asian Games

The South Korean national squash team, competing in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, is targeting its second consecutive medal in the women's team event and its first-ever medal in the men's division.

The Korea Squash Federation announced that it held a dedication ceremony for the national Asian Games delegation at the Jincheon National Training Center squash courts in North Chungcheong Province on the 8th.

The men's team is led by coach Kang Ho-seok, alongside Na Joo-young (Chungcheongnam-do Sports Council), Ryu Jeong-min (Gyeongsangbuk-do Sports Council), Oh Seo-jin (Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council), and Lee Min-woo (Chungcheongbuk-do Sports Council). The women's team is led by coach Ryu Gong-sun, with Kim Dami (Gwangju Metropolitan City Sports Council), Ryu Boram (Ulsan Metropolitan City Sports Council), Eom Hwa-young (Incheon Metropolitan City Sports Council), and Heo Min-kyung (Gyeongsangnam-do Sports Council).

In the women's division, Eom Hwa-young and Heo Min-kyung, who won bronze medals in the team event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, are aiming for a second consecutive podium finish.

Eom Hwa-young finished as runner-up at the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour Chennai event in July and claimed the women's general division title at the Korea Open in August. Heo Min-kyung reached the semifinals of the PSA Soumah SA Open in Australia in May before winning the Victoria Open in August.

In the men's division, expectations are high for Na Joo-young, the "Korean Monster" who won silver medals in both the singles and team events at the 2024 World Junior Championships, and Oh Seo-jin, who teamed up with him to win the silver in the team event.

The two players combined to lead the South Korean men's junior team to its first-ever title at the 2025 Asian Junior Team Championships.

Having yet to win an Asian Games medal since squash became an official sport at the 1998 Bangkok Games, the men's team will challenge for its first-ever medal led by these two pillars of generational change.

A total of five gold medals are up for grabs in squash at this tournament, covering the men's and women's singles and team events, as well as mixed doubles.

South Korea will begin its ten-day quest for medals starting with mixed doubles on the 23rd.

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