Korea's performances in ball events bittersweet

Members of the Korean baseball team acknowledge their fans after their 0-8 loss to Japan in a Universiade preliminary group A match at the Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, Monday. / Courtesy of GUOC

By Kwon Ji-youn

Korea’s performances in the “big-four” ball events at the 2015 Gwangju Universiade have been bittersweet thus far.

Though the host won medals in football, basketball, volleyball and baseball at the Incheon Asian Games last year, the country has had no such luck at the last six University Games. The very last Universiade medal in a big-four ball game came in 2009 in Belgrade, when the women’s football team edged Japan 4-1 for gold.

But in Gwangju, the men’s football team, which has won one Universiade gold, four silver and a bronze in total, is on a winning streak with three upsets and is looking to end its 14-year medal drought at this year’s University Games ― Team Korea last medaled at the 2001 Beijing Universiade.

So far, Korea has secured wins in all three first-round Group A matches against Chinese Taipei, Italy and Canada, and will next face Uruguay in the quarterfinals Thursday.

The women’s team was on a roll with three wins in first-round Group A matches against the Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei and Ireland until its loss to France Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

The men’s basketball team is also on top of its game, with wins against China and Mozambique in the preliminary round. Featuring an all-star squad that includes three athletes currently with programs in the pro league ― Lee Seoung-hyun of the Goyang Orions, Heo Ung of the Wonju Dongbu Promy and Jeong Hyo-geun of the Incheon ET Land Elephants ― the squad is looking to improve upon its eighth-place finish in 2007.

It is coming off a successful campaign at the Asia-Pacific University Basketball Challenge, where it edged the Universiade teams from Japan, Russia and the Philippines to take the cup. Its goal is to finish first or second in Group A to make the upper bracket.

On the down side, both volleyball teams have exited early despite impressive plays in the preliminary round.

The women’s team, whose only Universiade medal came in 1985 in Kobe, Japan, was routed all three preliminary Group A matches against China, Chile and Columbia, as well as a placement 9-16 match against Finland. Meanwhile, the men’s team, which has four Universiade gold, a silver and three bronze under its belt, began strong but ended shakily with just two wins against Australia and the Czech Republic and three losses against Chinese Taipei, Argentina and the United States. The men’s team hasn’t made the semifinals since the 2003 Universiade in Daegu.

The women’s basketball team was also off to an energizing start with an 80-64 win against Mozambique until it suffered a crushing defeat in a second preliminary round Group A game against Canada. Team Korea lost to Canada 42-94 and then succumbed to Hungary 55-88.

Korea is considered a baseball powerhouse, but the country has yet to top a Universiade podium, settling instead for two silvers at the 1993 Universiade in Buffalo and the 1995 Universiade in Fukuoka. At both, Cuba took gold.

Baseball has made a comeback to the Universiade after a 20-year hiatus, but the Korean team is off to a rickety start, having been walloped by Japan 8-0 in its campaign opener on Monday. However, in its second preliminary match against China it won 14-0.