South Korea's women's handball team defeated Japan to reclaim the Asian Games title after eight years. The team avenged their loss in the 2022 Hangzhou final, finishing this tournament with a perfect record of six wins and securing their eighth gold medal overall.
Under the guidance of head coach Lee Gye-cheong, South Korea triumphed over Japan 27-23 in the final match of the women's handball round-robin tournament held on September 27 at the Inazawa Entry Hall in Aichi Prefecture.
With this victory, South Korea confirmed their gold medal by winning all six matches in the tournament. The women's handball competition featured seven teams competing in a single round-robin format, with the final standings determining the medal winners. Both South Korea and Japan entered the final match with perfect records, but South Korea secured first place with their victory.
South Korea took the lead early in the match, with Ryu Eun-hee and Kwon Han-na contributing to the score, while Kim Bo-eun added to the offense with strong drives. Although they allowed Japan to equalize at one point, South Korea pulled ahead again, finishing the first half with a score of 16-12.
In the second half, South Korea extended their lead with goals from Kim Min-seo and a steal that led to another score. Despite Ryu Eun-hee receiving a two-minute penalty, goalkeeper Park Sae-young's saves and solid defense minimized Japan's scoring opportunities.
Japan mounted a late comeback attempt, but South Korea maintained their lead with key saves from the goalkeeper and scores from Kim Bo-eun and Jeon Ji-yeon. South Korea held off Japan's final push, finishing the match 27-23 and securing the gold medal.
Park Sae-young was instrumental in the victory, making several crucial saves throughout the match. Veteran players Ryu Eun-hee and Kwon Han-na also played pivotal roles in the offense.
This victory marks South Korea's first gold medal in women's handball at the Asian Games since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang event, successfully overcoming the disappointment of their 19-29 loss to Japan in the 2022 Hangzhou final.
With this win, South Korea's women's handball team has now achieved a total of eight gold medals in Asian Games history.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.