(Asiad) Main S. Korean delegation arrives in Nagoya

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 17 (Yonhap) -- A significant portion of the South Korean team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games touched down in the host city on Thursday, eager to challenge Japan in the medal standings expected to commence this weekend. According to the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), 122 athletes and officials from six sports disembarked at Chubu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname, a 30-kilometer stretch south of Nagoya.

They have joined competitors in disciplines like football, volleyball, and basketball, whose contests had already commenced within Nagoya's vicinity. The opening ceremony is slated for Saturday, with the competition concluding on October 4. The KSOC aims to secure approximately 45 gold medals, with South Korea fielding athletes in 41 of the 43 sports on offer.

China is anticipated to maintain its dominance in the medal sweepstakes, leaving South Korea and Japan to vie for the coveted second-place position. At the last Asiad three years ago, Japan secured the runner-up spot with 52 gold medals, outpacing South Korea by ten. Table tennis player Shin Yu-bin and badminton player Seo Seung-jae led the delegation's procession through the Japanese airport upon arrival.

They were welcomed by Jung Mi-ae, South Korea's consul general in Nagoya, and other officials representing South Korean residents in the Aichi prefecture. KSOC President Lee Sang-hyun, serving as chief of the Asiad delegation, expressed gratitude for the warm reception, vowing to fly the South Korean flag high in Nagoya. "Our athletes have already performed admirably in their preliminary rounds, and the true competition now begins," Lee remarked.

Shin, who also served as a co-flag bearer for the opening ceremony earlier Thursday, added, "It is an honor and a privilege to compete at the Asian Games. I will give it my all."