Emotional coach, athletes vow turnaround for S. Korean wrestling at Asian Games

At a somber press conference, South Korea's national wrestling team and their coach An Han-bong broke down in tears while discussing the upcoming Asian Games. The country's wrestling had faltered, failing to secure a medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Olympics, and only managing two bronze medals at the 2023 Asian Games. An Han-bong, a former Olympic gold medalist, urged his athletes to turn the tide at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in July.

He expressed hope that his wrestlers would prove Korean wrestling is far from dead. Some wrestlers, like reigning Asian Games bronze medalist Chung Han-jae, shared similar sentiments, vowing to win gold and demonstrate the strength of Korean wrestling. The wrestlers unfurled a Taegeukgi, the national flag, with written goals after the flag-waving photo opportunity.

KWF President Kim Ik-heon acknowledged the sport's downward spiral, pointing to poor mental health, lackadaisical coaching, and a focus on personal gain among instructors. He set a target of a gold, silver, and six bronze medals at this year's Asian Games, but the team's current state makes such an outcome uncertain. The medal contenders, including injured wrestlers Chung and Kim Min-seok, lack international experience.

To boost morale, KWF President Kim, who also runs a pork processing company, promised pork gifts to medalists, with gold medalists receiving monthly gifts for two years and silver and bronze medalists getting them for a year.