Men's handball coach praises players despite semifinal loss to Qatar at Asian Games

Inazawa, Japan — Following their defeat in the men's handball semifinal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, South Korea's head coach commended his players for competing on equal footing with the defending champion Qatar. Coach Cho Young-shin expressed his pride in his team, acknowledging their performance despite the loss.

"I told my players that I'm proud of them. We lost the match, but our players did well," he said, visibly emotional after the game. "I believe our players' determination and resolve to win were stronger than those of the opponent."

Korea faced Qatar 32-20 in the event's semifinal at Entrio in Inazawa, located just northwest of Nagoya, Japan. The Korean team put up a spirited fight in the first half and the initial 20 minutes of the second half against the Qatari team, which is aiming for its fourth consecutive Asian Games title. However, they were unable to mount a comeback in the final stages of the match.

From an objective standpoint, Coach Cho believes that the Qatari team, pursuing its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, was approximately seven to three better than his team. Nonetheless, he emphasized that his players played on equal terms for 60 minutes, remaining resolute and giving their all throughout the game. South Korea had been striving for its first gold medal in men's handball since the Asian Games in 2010.