Dominant China wary of host Japan in Asiad table tennis competition

NAGOYA, Japan - Table tennis player Shin Yu-bin and rower Kim Dong-yong have been selected to carry the South Korean flag at the opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee announced this on Thursday.

Shin, who will compete in multiple disciplines including singles, doubles, and team events, is currently the world No. 1 in mixed doubles. She and her partner Lim Jong-hoon won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and claimed four medals, including gold, at the 2023 Asian Games. Kim, 35, a veteran athlete representing South Korea for 17 years, will contest in double sculls and quadruple sculls events, aiming to secure a medal in the latter.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee also announced veteran archer Kim Woo-jin and shooter Lee Bo-na as co-captains of the delegation. Kim Woo-jin, 34, is one of South Korea's most decorated athletes with five Olympic gold medals, three Asian Games gold medals, and ten world titles. Lee Bo-na, 45, is the oldest female athlete for South Korea at the Asian Games, having won two medals in trap shooting at the 2004 Athens Olympics and leading South Korea to a team gold in the women's double trap team event.

The opening ceremony takes place on Saturday at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. Meanwhile, various preliminary sports such as football, volleyball, and basketball are already underway. The main South Korean delegation is expected to arrive in Nagoya later on Thursday, the KSOC reported. South Korea will field 1,051 athletes and officials across 41 of the 43 sports participating in the Asian Games.