Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams have their eyes on gold.
The South Korean women’s hockey team, led by head coach Han Jin-soo, cruised to a 5-0 victory over Malaysia in their Group A match on Wednesday at the Archer Canal Sports Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
With the win, South Korea moved level on points with India with a 3-1 record in Group A. However, they finish second on goal difference and head to the semifinals.
Their opponents will be Japan, who topped Group B with four wins out of four. The inevitable ‘fateful Korea-Japan match’ will be played on May 5.
Korean women’s hockey has won more gold medals (five) than any other sport at the Asian Games. They also won four consecutive titles, starting in Seoul in 1986 and ending in Bangkok in 1998. The last time they won was in Incheon in 2014, and the last time was in Jakarta-Palembang in 2018, where they finished fourth. It was the second time they failed to medal at the event after Doha in 2006. They will be looking to redeem themselves in the upcoming semifinals and possibly the final. 레고토토
Meanwhile, Shin Seok-gyo’s men’s hockey team is also eyeing the podium. The Korean men’s hockey team defeated Oman in the fifth game of their Group B match on Feb. 2 to finish with a final score of 4-1. They reached the semifinals in second place behind China (4 wins, 1 draw). The men’s team will face India on Thursday for the final ticket.
This is the first gold medal hunt for both men and women. This has only been accomplished twice in the history of the Asian Games, in Seoul in 1986 and Hiroshima in 1994. South Korea will attempt to break the 29-year wait.