Korean Delegation Departs for Nagoya to Pursue Gold at Asian Games

South Korean national athletes, set to compete in the Asian Games, the premier sports festival for Asians, are heading to Nagoya, Japan, the battleground for gold.

The main contingent of the South Korean delegation participating in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will depart for Japan via Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 17th.

Marking the 20th Summer Asian Games, this tournament will run for 16 days through October 4, beginning with the opening ceremony on the 19th at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.

Events will be held across 19 cities within Aichi Prefecture, centering around Nagoya, as well as in Tokyo, Osaka, and Shizuoka.

While some sports such as men's basketball, which kicked off its schedule on the 10th, along with football and volleyball, are already underway, the main delegation departing today consists of 122 athletes and officials across badminton, cycling (road), handball (women's), karate, table tennis, and volleyball (beach volleyball), including Korean Sport & Olympic Committee President Yoo Seung-min and delegation head Lee Sang-hyun.

This is the third time a Summer Asian Games is being held in Japan, following the 1958 Tokyo and 1994 Hiroshima Games, and marks a return after 32 years.

Although the Asian Games are held once every four years, the previous 2022 Hangzhou Games were postponed by a year and held in 2023 due to the spread of COVID-19, bringing Asian sports stars back together after three years.

Running under the slogan "Imagine One Asia," this year's tournament features a total of 469 gold medals across 43 sports and 71 disciplines.

Around 15,000 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) are scheduled to participate and compete in their respective skills.

South Korea has formed a delegation of 1,052 people, including 792 athletes, competing in 41 sports, excluding cricket and padel.

Serving as a prelude to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics two years away, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee has set its sights on winning 40 to 45 gold medals to secure third place overall for the third consecutive time following the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2023 Hangzhou Games, while also narrowing the gap with host nation Japan, which finished second in both previous events.

After finishing second overall at the 2014 Incheon Games held at home (79 golds, 70 silvers, 79 bronzes), South Korea finished third behind China and Japan at both the Jakarta-Palembang (49 golds, 58 silvers, 70 bronzes) and Hangzhou (42 golds, 59 silvers, 89 bronzes) Games.

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