S. Korea gets revenge on Japan, wins Asiad handball gold
South Korea's Lee Yeon-kyung attempts a shot during the women's handball match between South Korea and Japan at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Entrio in Inazawa, Japan, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
After losing 29-19 to Japan in the women's handball final at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, South Korean players had been waiting for a chance to avenge that defeat over the past three years.
Three years later, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the two countries met again in the gold medal match on Sunday.
South Korea beat Japan 27-23 in the sixth and final round of the women's handball competition to win the gold medal for the first time since 2018.
"The loss made our hearts bleed three years ago, but this victory made us extremely happy," said goalkeeper Park Sae-young, who made 12 saves during the match.
"We will take on Japan in future competitions, such as the Olympics, and we will keep working to win again."
The women's handball competition at this year's Asiad did not feature a knockout stage. Instead, all seven teams played each other once, with medals awarded based on their final round-robin standings.
Before Sunday's match, South Korea and Japan were the only undefeated teams, with five wins apiece, and the gold medal winner was decided in their sixth and final group round match.
Captain Kwon Han-na said the silver medal after losing to Japan three years ago had been a big disappointment for her and her teammates, as South Korea had been a handball powerhouse and won seven gold medals in the eight previous Asian Games through 2018.
"Today's victory helped us heal our wounded hearts," she said. "I think we united well, and our solidarity was evident in the match."
Ryu Eun-hee, who led South Korea with six goals, credited the victory to the young players, who endured hard training and did not get nervous ahead of the important match.
"This time, we were full of the desire for revenge, so we prepared for the match thoroughly," said Ryu, a 36-year-old veteran who also played in the 2023 final against Japan.
"Young players brought fresh energy to the team, and they blended well with the team. This harmony helped us win the gold medal."