Nagoya:A team of young collegiate players from South Korea captured the country's first Asian Games gold medal in men's 3x3 basketball by defeating Qatar 19-10 in the final match held at Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue in central Japan. The team comprised Yonsei University teammates Lee Ju-yeong and Kim Seung-woo, alongside Lee Dong-geun from Korea University and Ku Min-gyo from Sungkyunkwan University.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's victory was achieved despite a significant height disadvantage, with the average height of the team being 7.5 centimeters less than their Qatari opponents. No South Korean player stood taller than 200 centimeters, while three players from Qatar exceeded that height. Despite this, the South Korean team managed a comfortable win.
The triumph in the 3x3 tournament followed closely on the heels of South Korea's success in the 5x5 men's basketball, where they secured a gold medal by defeating Japan. This sequence of victories has made the Asian Games a memorable event for South Korean basketball. Additionally, the South Korean women's team also achieved a notable victory by defeating the two-time defending champion China in the semifinals earlier in the same day.
Kim Seung-woo noted that the team was inspired by the perseverance shown by the 5x5 players. "As I watched our 5x5 players battle so hard, I thought we would never lose if we play like that," he said, expressing the motivation and confidence boost the team received from the earlier gold medal win.
The South Korean players also excelled in defense, committing only one turnover compared to Qatar's nine, and nearly matched their opponents in rebounds, with 16 to Qatar's 17. Lee Dong-geun expressed his commitment to the game, stating, "I was ready to die on the court."
Lee Ju-yeong, who led the team with nine points, focused on strong defense against Qatar's key player, Hamad Mousa. Ku Min-gyo expressed aspirations for his future career, aiming to join the 5x5 national team and believing in the potential strength of their current group if they continue to play together.