Gifu: The South Korean men's and women's field hockey teams both emerged victorious in their opening matches at the Asian Games on Friday. The men's team secured a decisive 5-0 win over Bangladesh in Pool A at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, located approximately 30 kilometers north of Nagoya, the event's main host city. Goals were contributed by Sim Jae-won, Lee Gang-san, Oh Se-yong, Bae Soung-min, and Yang Ji-hun.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean men's team demonstrated strong performance, scoring three goals in the second quarter and adding one goal in each of the following quarters. Head coach Min Tae-seok remarked on the team's strategy, stating, "We saw Bangladesh as a dark horse. We wanted to lock things down defensively in the first quarter and then be more aggressive in the second quarter. And our players scored those goals after making their adjustments to the venue."
An unexpected incident occurred before the men's match when the North Korean anthem was mistakenly played instead of South Korea's. Match organizers corrected the error by subsequently playing Bangladesh's anthem and then the South Korean anthem. However, the start of the match was delayed, prompting the referee to instruct players from both teams to shake hands and prepare for the game before the anthem concluded. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee filed an official complaint over the mix-up, seeking an apology and measures to prevent future incidents.
In the women's match at the same venue, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1, with Park Seung-ae scoring twice and An Su-jin contributing another goal. In the previous Asian Games in 2023, South Korea's men's team secured a bronze medal, while the women's team earned a silver medal.
Both tournaments feature 12 teams divided into two groups of six, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. The South Korean men's team is scheduled to face Indonesia at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, while the women's team will compete against Kazakhstan at 9 a.m. on Monday.