Jincheon: With the next Asian Games in Japan just a month away, South Korea has announced its ambitious target of securing up to 45 gold medals, aiming for a top-three finish in the medal standings. The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) held a media day at the Jincheon National Training Center, located 85 kilometers south of Seoul, to mark the 30-day countdown to the 20th Asian Games. This quadrennial event will take place in and around Aichi Prefecture, with Nagoya serving as the main host city.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the opening ceremony is scheduled for September 19, although some preliminary sports events, including basketball, football, hockey, and volleyball, will commence in the days leading up to the ceremony. The games will conclude with a closing ceremony on October 4. The event is set to host 45 nations, featuring approximately 15,000 athletes competing in 43 different sports. South Korea will contribute 792 athletes and 260 officials across 41 sports.
Historically, South Korea has consistently finished in third place behind China and Japan in the last two Asian Games, after securing second place behind China from 1998 to 2014. China is expected to dominate the medal tally once again, leaving South Korea and Japan to vie for the second position, with Japan potentially benefiting from the home-field advantage.
KSOC President Ryu Seung-min emphasized the competitive spirit between South Korea and Japan, highlighting the additional motivation for South Korean athletes to perform on Japanese soil. "We are bound to compete with Japan in many areas and the fact that this year's Asian Games will take place in Japan gives our athletes extra motivation," Ryu stated during a press conference alongside several athletes. The KSOC is committed to providing optimal support to the South Korean delegation, with competition venues and athletes' living quarters dispersed across the host region.
The KSOC is banking on winning multiple golds in sports such as archery, swimming, shooting, fencing, taekwondo, badminton, judo, and e-sports. They also aim for at least one gold in athletics, artistic gymnastics, sport climbing, and sepaktakraw. In team sports, South Korea is pursuing a fifth consecutive gold in baseball and a fourth consecutive title in men's football.
Despite acknowledging that achieving their gold medal target might not secure second place, the KSOC remains focused on closing the gap with Japan. In the 2018 Asian Games, Japan won 75 gold medals compared to South Korea's 45, and in the subsequent 2023 games, Japan led with 52 golds to South Korea's 42.
Lee Sang-hyun, president of the Korea Cycling Federation and chief of the South Korean delegation, expressed confidence in the athletes' tenacity. "I expect Japan to put on a strong showing at home but our athletes have always excelled with their backs against the wall," Lee remarked, adding his hope that some young athletes will deliver unexpected medal-winning performances.