Ranked 28th in the world, South Korea will play its preliminary group-stage opener against Hong Kong (127th) in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture on Thursday, before facing Qatar (107th) and Viet Nam (32nd) in the following days.
A gold medal has been elusive for South Korea since the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The country missed the podium entirely at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, heled in 2023 amid a poor showing, while a bronze medal was the best it managed at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.
The women's volleyball tournament features 14 teams divided into four groups of three or four, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals.
Coached by Cha Sang-hyeon, South Korea is determined to end its decade-long medal drought. "We'll prepare thoroughly and make sure we win this time," he vowed.
While departing from Incheon International Airport last Sunday, captain Kang So-hwi, who recently returned to the national team after recovering from a left-thigh injury, said she had not forgotten South Korea’s loss to Viet Nam at the Hangzhou Games, where the team finished fifth.
"I really can't forget the humiliating loss to Viet Nam," the ace player recalled. "This time, I will definitely get revenge."
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea is targeting women's volleyball gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, its first Asian Games gold since 2014.
- South Korea will open against Hong Kong on Thursday, followed by matches against Qatar and Viet Nam. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals.
- Coach Cha Sang-hyeon and captain Kang So-hwi aim to end South Korea's medal drought, with Kang seeking revenge after the team's loss to Viet Nam at the 2022 Asian Games.
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