{
  "id": 7955303,
  "title": "Iran stands in way as Korea chases 1st men's hoops gold in 12 years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/iran-stands-in-way-as-korea-chases-1st-mens-hoops-gold-in-12-years-7955303",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-17T05:22:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20260917/iran-stands-in-way-as-korea-chases-1st-mens-hoops-gold-in-12-years"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NAGOYA, Japan — Korea seeks its first men's basketball gold medal in 12 years after their 2014 victory over Iran at home in Incheon. The two teams will face off in the semifinals Friday at Aichi International Arena, with Japan and China set to compete in the other semifinal. Since 2014, Korea has lost to Iran six times in a row, including at the 2018 and 2023 Asian Games. Coach Nikolajs Mazurs has led Korea to four straight wins, defeating Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan. Captain Lee Seoung-hyun and leading scorer Lee Hyun-jung have praised the team's progress in executing coach Mazurs' desired style of play.",
  "summary": "NAGOYA, Japan — The last time Korea won the Asian Games gold medal in men's basketball, it defeated Iran in the final on its home soil of Incheon in 2014. In the central Japanese city of Nagoya this week, Korea will face Iran in the semifinals of the hoops tournament, sitting within two wins of recapturing the glory from a dozen years ago. The two countries will renew their rivalry at 4 p.m.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Iran stands in way as Korea chases 1st men's hoops gold in 12 years",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/iran-stands-in-way-as-korea-chases-1st-mens-hoops-gold-in-12-years",
        "published": "2026-09-17T05:12:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}