(Nagoya = Yonhap News) Reporter Oh Myeong-eon = Coach Park Soo-ho of the women's basketball team, who gave Korea its first gold medal in 12 years in an away tournament that was virtually 'Chapo', earnestly hoped that this victory would be a blemish on the barren foundation of women's basketball.
The national team led by coach Park Soo-ho defeated Japan 75-70 in the women's basketball finals of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 26th and won the gold medal.
Coach Park, who held a press conference after the game, did not hide his overwhelming emotion, saying, "I don't know if a day like this will come again, but it is a glorious day that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I want to give all the credit to the players. I really want to say that I am very grateful and grateful."
Even before the competition, few people expected Korea to win.
This is because both 'pillar' Park Ji-soo and 'ace' Park Ji-hyun, who are considered major stars, were missing, causing a huge power leakage, and in the bracket, they had to overcome 'Great Wall' China, held by 220cm Zhang Tzuyu, and 'old enemy' Japan, which was at a disadvantage after losing 7 games in a row in the recent head-to-head match.
Coach Park said, “This is the first time that I and the players felt that, despite concerns that the player base is thin, we can achieve such good results if our players come together as one and work hard to follow us.” He added, “I think that with this opportunity, even if there are no players in the future, we will be able to work hard even with the players we have.”
Coach Park, who has taken over the leadership of the national team starting in 2024, instead of forcing the team to fill the 12-member roster, decided to play the tournament with 11 players, trusting in the chemistry they have developed through hard work together since the summer.
Korea, led by Heo Ye-eun, Kang I-seul, Lee Hae-ran, and Lee So-hee, refined quick transitions, organic passes, and bold outside attacks as their secret weapons, and these skills shone throughout the tournament.
He explained, "We did not focus on training or managing games for specific players. It would have been much easier if all the key players had been present, but we could not blame them for not having them. We made extensive use of the available personnel with the thought that all 11 players on the court should do their part without missing a single one."
This victory comes 12 years after the 2014 Incheon Games and is the fifth Asian Games gold medal for Korean women's basketball.
Previously, the men's 5-on-5 national team won the championship by defeating Japan in the finals, and the 3-on-3 men's national team, mainly made up of college players, won its first ever gold medal, drawing praise for the entire Korean basketball industry as having welcomed a 'golden generation'.
However, Director Park’s gaze was cool.
Coach Park said, “I don’t know about men’s basketball, but it is still too early to call the current women’s team the ‘golden generation.’” He added, “It is a valuable achievement achieved because the players here are doing so well even in difficult situations.”
She continued, "Korean women's basketball still has many shortcomings, but I think the sight of the national team players winning championships and gold medals will be a stimulus to young players. I hope this victory will serve as an opportunity to expand the base of women's basketball."
