(Asiad) S. Korea to start gold medal campaign on 1st day of medal events

NAGOYA, Japan (Sept. 20) -- South Korea is poised to commence its gold medal campaign on the opening day of the Asian Games' medal events in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, according to Yonhap news agency. With 1,051 athletes and officials competing, the nation has set its sights on securing up to 45 golds and a third-place ranking in the overall medal table, trailing behind China and Japan.

The inaugural gold could potentially be claimed by the women's modern pentathlon, as Seong Seung-min, who contributed to Japan's bronze finish in the women's team event during the last Asian Games, claimed the 2024 World Modern Pentathlon Championship. This victory earned her the distinction of being the first South Korean woman to triumph in the world championship.

Ban Hyo-jin, the reigning Olympic champion, is leading the charge for South Korea's shooting squad, aiming for five golds in the women's 10m air rifle individual and team events. In teqball, a newly incorporated sport at the 2022 Asian Games, Lee Jun-suk will face Ali Jalil Mezher Alelayawi of Iraq in the men's singles final, marking the first South Korean medal in this unique fusion of football, table tennis, and freestyle skills.

Additionally, South Korea's men's and women's soft tennis teams aim to surpass their bronze medal performances from three years ago, while swimmer Hwang Sun-woo will make his debut in the men's 100-meter freestyle event, alongside Kim Young-beom, who recently broke Hwang's Korean record in a national competition. The men's basketball team hopes to accomplish its first gold in 12 years against the host nation, Japan, having already secured top seed status in Group A following victories against Jordan and Iran in preliminary matches.