U-18 야구 대표팀, 8년 만에 아시아선수권 우승 도전…“기필코 금메달”

The Korean U-18 baseball representative team is set to challenge for the Asia Baseball Championship title for the first time in eight years. Coach Jeong Yoon-jin expressed her desire for the team to secure a gold medal. The team will compete in the 2026 BFA U-18 Asia Baseball Championship in Taiwan from July 7th to July 13th. Upon their arrival on July 5th, the team immediately began training.

Despite the hot weather and rain, they played ball for about two hours. The tournament features 30 teams in total, with South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore all placed in Group B. The first match against Taiwan will be held on July 7th, followed by games against Singapore on July 8th and Thailand on July 9th. South Korea won the championship in 2018, which was also their last victory in this competition.

In the previous 2024 Asian Championship, they finished in third place after being defeated by Taiwan and Japan. The players are determined to challenge for the U-18 World Cup title, which they placed fourth in last year, losing to the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. Mainstay player Eom Joon-sang (18, Dongsu High School) expressed his motivation to show that Korean baseball is growing and to prove that they can beat Japan and Taiwan.

He also mentioned that he signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB) for $1.5 million (around 20 billion won), which is more than what the KBO offers. Despite the heavy training and fatigue, he believes the team can perform well in the upcoming championship. Another key player, Hyun Sik (18, Busan High School), is confident in the team's ability and looks forward to representing the team to the best of his abilities.

He also has the opportunity to join the New York Yankees of MLB with a $3 million (40 billion won) contract offer, but he chose to stay in the KBO. Hyun Sik expressed his desire to continue playing in Korea and hopes to gain international posting rights to play in the U.S. and enjoy the game. He emphasized that his primary focus is the first match against Taiwan on July 7th, and he is confident that the team can win no matter the opponent.