Men's Basketball to Face Japan in Asian Games Group Stage… Challenging for First Title in 12 Years
The South Korean men's basketball team will face Japan in the Asia Games group stage, marking their first appearance since 2014. The Asian Games tournament committee announced the basketball match-ups on August 8, placing South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan in Group A. The Games kick off on September 19, with basketball commencing earlier. Japan currently ranks 22nd in FIBA, while South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia are 57th, 65th, and 94th, respectively.
Although Japan's performance is the most impressive among the opponents, victory won't be easy for the past 12 years without a title. The South Korean roster includes notable overseas players such as Hyun-Jung Im and Jun-Seok Yoon (both from the University of Southern California) and young talents Eun-Jung Kang (Soongsan), U-Kyung Oh (Samsung Life), and Ki-Sang Yoo (Changwon LG). The team has appointed Nicolas Muller as its first foreign coach to bring tactical changes.
Women's basketball is also competing for its first medal since 2014, with South Korea ranked 15th in FIBA. The team would need to defeat first-place teams or the second-place team with a strong record to advance to the quarterfinals. The final group stage opponents for both men's and women's teams will be announced after today's draw.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
