The South Korean men's national basketball team, challenging for the title at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games opening next month, will clash with Japan in the group stage.

According to the men's basketball schedule released by the tournament organizing committee, South Korea has been placed in Group A alongside Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. The team will play its opening match against Saudi Arabia on September 10, followed by matches against Indonesia on the 11th and Japan on the 13th.

South Korea ranks 57th in the FIBA rankings, lower than Japan at 22nd, but secured a thrilling two-point victory over Japan on the 6th of last month during the sixth match of the first round of the World Cup qualifiers, even without ace Lee Hyun-jung, who is challenging for the NBA.

In this Asian Games, 12 teams are divided into three groups for the group stage. The first and second-place teams from each group, along with the two best third-place teams, will advance to the quarterfinals to compete for medals.

The women's national basketball team has been included in Group C with Taiwan, Malaysia, and Mongolia, and will face Malaysia on the 18th, Mongolia on the 21st, and Taiwan on the 22nd.

The men's 3x3 basketball national team was placed in Group D with Japan, Singapore, and Thailand, while the women's 3x3 national team was drawn into Group D with Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.

(Photo: Yonhap News)