South Korea's Sepak Takraw Women's Doubles Team Advances to Semifinals as Group Leaders After Sweep, Facing Vietnam

The South Korean sepak takraw national team has advanced to the semifinals as the top team of their group after sweeping the preliminary matches in the women's doubles (two-player event) at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

South Korea secured a comeback victory of 2 to 1 in set scores against the Philippines in their third Group B preliminary match of the tournament held today (September 28) at the Mizuho Park Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan.

Having already secured a semifinal berth and guaranteed at least a bronze medal the previous day by defeating India and Japan consecutively with set scores of 2 to 0, South Korea finished the preliminary round at the top of Group B with three wins, pushing the Philippines (two wins and one loss) to second place.

South Korea will face Vietnam, the runner-up of Group A, at 2 PM today at the same venue to compete for a spot in the final.

Vietnam finished the preliminary stage with two wins and one loss, having lost 1 to 2 to Laos before defeating Myanmar and Malaysia 2 to 0 respectively.

Laos claimed first place in Group A with three wins and will face the Philippines in the semifinals.

In this tournament, four countries are divided into two groups for the round-robin stage, after which the first and second place teams from each group advance to the semifinals to compete for the championship through a knockout tournament.

There is no third-place playoff, and both teams that lose in the semifinals are awarded bronze medals.


South Korea has secured its second-ever medal in the women's doubles event at the Asian Games, marking a 16-year milestone since the bronze medal at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

South Korea failed to pass the group stage at the 2014 Incheon Games, and the women's regu event was excluded from the program at the subsequent 2018 and 2022 Games.

During the two matches the previous day, South Korea secured victories by starting the first set with striker Han Ye-ji and captain Lee Min-ju (both from the Busan Environmental Corporation), who serves as the feeder equivalent to a setter in volleyball, and then substituting striker Kim Se-young (Chungnam Sports Council) into the game for the second set.

Facing the Philippines in what was effectively the battle for first place in Group B today, Kim Se-young started as the striker, Han Ye-ji took over the attack in the second set, and Kim Se-young returned to lead the offense in the third set to clinch the victory.
(Photo courtesy of the Korea Sepaktakraw Association / Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.