Korea out of hockey at Paris Olympics after men's qualifier loss to Ireland

The Korean men’s field hockey team [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea will not field a hockey team at the 2024 Paris Olympics after the men's team lost a third-place qualifier game to Ireland on Sunday in Valencia, Spain.

Korea lost Sunday’s game 4-3, ending the 2024 Men’s FIH (International Hockey Federation) Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in fourth place.

A total of 16 teams, divided into eight-team tournaments, competed in the qualifiers. The top three teams from each tournament earned a place in the Olympics.

The six teams that qualified for the Games through were Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and Spain.

The Korean men’s hockey team’s failure to earn a place in the Games marks the third consecutive time that the team has failed to qualify for the tournament.

The team has competed at the Olympics six times and has only medaled once — taking silver at the 2000 Olympics.

The team's failure at the Olympics is a contrast to their performance at the Asian Games, where they have medaled eight times — four gold, one silver and three bronze.

They also secured a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

With the men’s team failing to qualify for the Olympics, Korea will not field a hockey team at the Games this summer, as the women’s team also failed to earn a place at the tournament.

The women’s hockey team has won two silver medals at the Olympics — in 1988 and 1996 — but has not competed at the Games since 2016.

Their failure to reach the Olympics perhaps comes as a disappointment, considering they were silver medalists at last year’s Asiad.

A total of 12 field hockey teams will compete in each tournament at the Paris Olympics.

In the men’s tournament, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, Netherlands, India, Australia, Argentina, South Africa and host country France will participate.

Over in the women’s, Australia, Netherlands, China, Argentina, South Africa, Germany, United States, Japan, Belgium, Spain, Great Britain and host country France will be in action.

The Paris Olympics are set to run from July 26 through Aug. 11.

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