South Korea beat Japan for its first handball gold since 2018
27–23 in the last round-robin game at Entrio. Both teams came in 5–0. Japan had won the Hangzhou final 29–19.
Ryu Eun-hee with South Korea against Issy Paris Hand on Aug. 12, 2014.
Photo: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin / CC BY-SA 4.0
South Korea beat Japan 27–23 on Sunday at Entrio in Inazawa and won the Asian Games women's handball gold for the first time since 2018. Three years ago in Hangzhou this was a 29–19 loss. Same two teams, same gold, a different night in Japan.
There was no knockout bracket. Seven teams played each other once, and Korea and Japan both came in 5–0, so Sunday was the final whether the schedule called it that or not. Korea finished 6–0 for its eighth title in the event since 1990. Japan took silver.
They started 3–3. Korea ran four in a row to 7–4, then Japan's defense got tight and it was 7–7. Lee Kye-chung, who also coached the 2018 gold, called timeout. Korea scored nine from there and went to the break up 16–12.
Japan got back to 24–22 while Han Mi-seul sat a two-minute suspension. Park Sae-young, who made 12 saves, kept it from getting closer. Korea led 26–22 with two minutes left. Captain Kwon Han-na scored seven. Ryu Eun-hee, 36 and a four-time Olympian who played that Hangzhou final, scored six.
Kwon called the Hangzhou silver a disappointment for a program that had won seven of the eight Asian Games golds through 2018. "Today's victory helped us heal our wounded hearts," she said.
Ryu gave the night to the younger players. She said they had spent three years wanting this one back, that the kids brought the energy, and that the mix held. "This time, we were full of the desire for revenge, so we prepared for the match thoroughly," she said.
"The loss made our hearts bleed three years ago, but this victory made us extremely happy," Park said. She was already looking at the next meeting. "We will take on Japan in future competitions, such as the Olympics, and we will keep working to win again."