South Korea's men's 3x3 basketball team made history by winning its first gold medal at the Asian Games. This achievement comes eight years after they secured a silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
The South Korean team, led by coach Bae Gil-tae, triumphed over Qatar 19-10 in the final held on September 25 at a special court in the Ginjofuto Plaza in Nagoya, Japan.
The team, consisting of Lee Joo-young and Kim Seung-woo from Yonsei University, Lee Dong-geun from Korea University, and Koo Min-kyu from Sungkyunkwan University, showcased their offensive prowess in the final match.
From the start, South Korea took control of the game. Lee Joo-young scored first by attacking the basket, and after Qatar equalized with a two-pointer, Kim Seung-woo responded with a shot from beyond the arc.
Leading 5-3, South Korea extended its lead to 9-4 with consecutive two-pointers from Lee Joo-young. Kim Seung-woo added to the score, widening the gap further. Although Qatar attempted to close the distance, South Korea maintained its momentum, eventually finishing the game with a 19-10 victory.
The path to the final was smooth for South Korea, which defeated Thailand, Japan, and Singapore in the group stage. In the quarterfinals, they overcame China 22-13, and in the semifinals, they dominated the Philippines 21-9 to secure their spot in the final.
Prior to this victory, South Korea's best performance in men's 3x3 basketball at the Asian Games was a silver medal at the inaugural event in 2018. After eight years, they returned to the finals and clinched their first gold medal.
This gold medal is also the 13th for the South Korean delegation at this year's Asian Games, marking the 800th gold medal in the history of South Korea's participation in the Summer Asian Games.
Additionally, the women's 3x3 basketball team achieved a historic milestone by winning their first medal at the Asian Games on the same day.
The women's team, composed of Kim Jung-eun (BNK), Choi Ye-seul (Samsung Life), Heo Yoo-jung (Shinhan Bank), and Song Yoon-ha (KB), defeated Thailand 21-8 in the bronze medal match.
The women's team advanced through the group stage with three consecutive wins, defeated Taiwan 14-12 in the quarterfinals, and despite losing to Japan 8-19 in the semifinals, they secured their first Asian Games medal with the victory in the bronze medal match.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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