"This is a competition the general public watches together, so I see it as a chance to give the nation a sense of pride. I feel a much greater sense of responsibility and pressure than before."
Lee Sang-hyeok, the Korean esports icon known as Faker, is heading to his third Asian Games alongside the largest national esports squad the country has ever assembled, with the team targeting medals in every event.
41 Athletes and Coaches, a Record for Korean Esports
The Korea e-Sports Association held a send-off ceremony for the national esports team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on the 25th at a convention center in Sangam, Seoul. A total of 41 athletes and coaches will be dispatched to the Games, more than double the 19 who competed at the last edition in Hangzhou.
Lee stands at the center of the squad. Having worn the national colors three consecutive times since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where esports was a demonstration event, Lee said he was honored and grateful to be competing at a third Asian Games. "Doing my best at every international competition is a given, but this event carries the weight of representing the country, so I will deliver strong results with a heavy sense of responsibility," he said.
The League of Legends event, in which Lee will compete, has become a stronger gold medal prospect after China, a heavy favorite, withdrew from the competition. Kang Dong-hoon, head coach of the League of Legends national team, which is aiming for a second straight title, said the goal had never changed. "Regardless of whether China takes part, our only goal from the start has been the title," he said. "We will take the gold with dominant play."
Veteran Bae Jae-min, Still Competing in His 40s
Bae Jae-min, known as Knee and another symbol of Korean esports alongside Lee, will compete in Tekken 8 in his 40s. Asked about concerns over declining form, he dismissed them. "My physical reaction speed may have slowed compared with when I was younger, but my experience, including mind games, has improved enough to make up for it," he said. He also expressed his affection for the discipline, saying there was no need to create division by drawing a line between sports and esports, and that esports is one part of sports.
The national team, which began full-scale preparations with the ceremony, laid out a blueprint of winning medals in every event. It is targeting five gold medals in League of Legends, fighting games (Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8 and The King of Fighters XV), PUBG Mobile, Gran Turismo 7 and Puyo Puyo Champions. The squad also aims to reach the podium in eFootball and Pokemon Unite, for two silvers, and in Honor of Kings and Identity V, for two bronzes.
Five Golds, Two Silvers, Two Bronzes: Team Targets Medals in Every Event
The team began preliminary training in May, and athletes in some events entered the Jincheon National Training Center in July. Official group training runs from the 26th through the 25th of next month, after which the squad plans to operate two dedicated training camps in Japan to stay in peak condition.
Lee Seung-yeon, head of the strategic business division at the Korea e-Sports Association, said the Hangzhou Games had proven the potential of esports and that the Aichi-Nagoya Games would cement Korea's standing. "I hope people will support not only the results but also the sweat and the process the athletes have poured in," she said.
Esports competition at the Games opens on the 22nd of next month with Gran Turismo 7 and eFootball. League of Legends, the most anticipated event, runs from the 29th of that month through Oct. 2, closing out the competition.
