Korean and Chinese Players Reunite at Asian Games

Korean baseball player Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) and Chinese shortstop Li Yan'en, who once wore the same high school uniform, reunited on the Asian Games stage representing different countries.

Under the leadership of manager Ryu Ji-hyun, the Korean baseball team secured a 9-2 victory against China in the Super Round of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium on September 26.

Although Korea initially fell behind in the first inning, they quickly turned the game around. After Moon Hyun-bin reached base on a walk with one out in the first inning, Kim Do-young stepped up to bat. His hit, which was directed toward the shortstop, could have resulted in a double play, but Li Yan'en mishandled the ball, allowing Moon Hyun-bin to advance to third and Kim Do-young to reach second. A subsequent ground ball by Moon Bo-kyung led to an error by the Chinese pitcher, allowing both runners to score and giving Korea a 2-1 lead.

This moment drew attention because Li Yan'en, who missed the ball, was Kim Do-young's junior from Gwangju Dongseong High School.

Born in 2004, Li Yan'en came to South Korea for baseball training as a middle school student, playing under the name Lee Yeom-eun at Gwangju Jinhung Middle School and Gwangju Dongseong High School. Kim Do-young was two years his senior at Dongseong High School.

While Kim Do-young has developed into one of the top hitters in the KBO League after turning professional, Li Yan'en returned to China without being drafted but continued to pursue baseball, eventually being selected for the Chinese national team to compete in this tournament.

After the game, Kim Do-young expressed his joy at reuniting with his junior.

"Before the tournament, I received a message that he would be participating as a member of the Chinese national team," Kim said. "I couldn't believe it, and I never expected to meet him again on the field. It was surprising and really nice to see him again."

He added, "Li Yan'en was known for his speed during our school days. He admired my playing style, which is similar to his, and we spent a lot of time together in weight training. We were really close. I even met him at the accommodation. I feel proud that my junior is competing in such a major tournament representing a country. He seems to have grown well."

However, the reunion was brief. Kim Do-young now has a crucial match against Japan to decide the gold medal. Korea will face Japan in the final at 6:30 PM on September 27 at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium. After losing 0-5 to Japan in the previous Super Round, Korea advanced to the final by defeating China. A victory over Japan would secure Korea's fifth consecutive gold medal in Asian Games baseball.

Kim Do-young stated, "I haven't been hitting well lately, so I haven't been a big help to the team. I wanted to contribute in any way possible, so I played without hesitation. I am determined to win against Japan in the final."