Korean handball team settle for silver after tough loss to Japan

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Published: 05 Oct. 2023, 19:53 Updated: 02 Jan. 2024, 15:10

Korean handball team settle for silver after tough loss to Japan

Korea's Yun Ye-jin, left, shoots during a handball final against Japan at the Hangzhou Asian Games held at Zhejiang Gongshang University Sports Centre in Hangzhou, China on Thursday. [NEWS1]

The Korean women’s handball team settled for silver after a 29-19 loss to Japan in the final at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Thursday, failing to secure their eighth Asiad gold medal.

Korean women's handball team beat China to reach final

Korea, the most successful team ever in Asian Games handball, was a favorite to win gold at this year’s Asiad, but struggled against Japan throughout the game at Zhejiang Gongshang University Sports Centre in Hangzhou, China.

Korea took a 1-0 lead at the beginning of the first half but then fell behind for the remainder of the game. The first half highlighted Korea’s vulnerability in defense, allowing Japan to take the score to 14-8 by the end of the half.

Japan further stretched the lead during the second half, making it 26-15 in the 54th minute with victory essentially guaranteed by that point.

Korea managed a few goals in final last minutes, but the damage was already done and the team took silver after the final score came to 29-19.

This year is the first time the Korean women’s handball team has lost the Asiad final to Japan, having beaten them twice in 1994 and 2014.

The silver was the Korean women’s team’s first-ever silver in handball at the Asiad. Korea has previously secured seven gold and one bronze medal over eight tournaments.

The silver will also be Korea’s only medal in handball at this year’s Asian Games, as the men’s team failed to reach the semifinals.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]