Korean basketball is set to pursue a joint gold medal for both men and women at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, aiming for a feat not achieved in 12 years. The men's team, which finished with the lowest ranking in its history at the last tournament, seeks to restore its honor, while the women's team, facing key player absences, aims to secure a medal to uphold its pride.
Basketball is the first event to take place in this tournament. The men's team, led by head coach Nikolajs Mazulis, will begin the group stage on the 10th and compete in the finals on the 20th, the day after the opening ceremony on the 19th. The women's team, under coach Park Soo-ho, will start its group stage on the 17th and play in the finals on the 26th.
Korea has won a total of four gold medals in men's basketball (1970, 1982, 2002, 2014) and four in women's basketball (1978, 1990, 1994, 2014) at the Asian Games. The 2014 Incheon Games marked the first and only time both teams achieved gold simultaneously. In total, Korea ranks second in gold medals combined, following China, which has eight in men's and seven in women's basketball.
However, the men's team is coming off a disappointing performance at the last tournament. In the 2023 Hangzhou Games, they recorded their lowest finish ever, ending up in seventh place after losing to China in the quarterfinals. This broke a streak of medals that included a silver in 2010, gold in 2014, and bronze in 2018.
The current team is coached by Mazulis, a Latvian who took over at the end of last year, marking the first time a foreign coach has led Korean basketball. The team's performance has yet to meet expectations, with a record of four wins and six losses, falling below a 50% win rate. In recent exhibition games in Japan, they suffered defeats by margins of 20 and 29 points.
In addition, the roster is stretched thin. MVP winner Ahn Young-jun (Seoul SK) and 'homegrown big man' Ha Yoon-ki (Suwon KT) are unable to participate due to injuries, and the absence of naturalized players leaves the team at a height disadvantage.
There are signs of potential improvement. On August 31, Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 85-72 in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asia qualifiers. They followed this with victories over the Philippines in two exhibition games, winning 81-55 and 69-42, marking a three-game winning streak.
Expectations are high for ace Lee Hyun-jung, who has averaged 14 points and 12.7 rebounds in the last three games (against Saudi Arabia and the Philippines). He scored a team-high 25 points in the game against Saudi Arabia and recorded 15 rebounds in both exhibition games against the Philippines.
Korea is placed in Group A and will face Saudi Arabia on the 10th, Indonesia on the 11th, and host nation Japan on the 13th. A key point of interest will be whether they can avenge their previous loss to Japan.
The women's team has never missed a medal at the Asian Games. They first claimed gold at the 1978 Bangkok Games and followed with golds in 1990 Beijing, 1994 Hiroshima, and 2014 Incheon. They won silver as a unified team in the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and bronze at the last Hangzhou Games.
Heading into this tournament, the women's team faces some challenges. They lost both exhibition games against Japan on August 13-14, suffering an 18-point defeat in the first game and narrowly losing the second by one point after leading for much of the match.
Injuries have also taken a toll. Key guard Park Ji-hyun, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA, is unavailable due to scheduling conflicts. The participation of 'national treasure' center Park Ji-soo (Cheongju KB), who is recovering from an ankle injury, remains uncertain.
The women's team is currently competing in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Germany and will travel to Japan after completing their schedule. In the group stage, they will compete in Group C against Taiwan, Malaysia, and Mongolia for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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