NAGOYA — South Korea's men's basketball team won gold at the Asian Games after overcoming a string of off-court problems that dogged the squad throughout the tournament, from poor accommodations to a transport breakdown on the day of the final. The players were not shaken by the unexpected setbacks and reclaimed the title for the first time in 12 years.
Korea, coached by Latvia's Nikolajs Mazurs, beat host Japan 67-57 in the men's basketball final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya on the 20th.
Outside the arena, the team ran into one unexpected problem after another. During the Games, the squad stayed in temporary container-type housing set up near the Port of Nagoya, after the organizing committee opted not to build a dedicated athletes' village and instead used hotels, cruise ships and prefabricated facilities as lodging. The quarters assigned to the Korean men's basketball team even developed a bathroom leak, causing discomfort for the players.
Transport was another persistent headache. On one day of heavy rain, players struggled to get back to their lodging after training, one of a series of problems large and small in how the Games were run.
On the day of the final, the trouble disrupted match preparations directly. The team was scheduled to travel to a morning shooting practice, but the bus assigned to them did not arrive at the appointed time. With no advance notice or explanation, the team had to cancel the planned session.
It happened, as it turned out, on the very day Korea was to face host Japan for the gold medal. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee lodged a formal protest with the organizing committee and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and decided to request a meeting with senior officials.
Despite the repeated setbacks, the players held firm on the court. They kept their focus through the off-court disruptions and capped the run with a win over Japan to reclaim the Asian Games title for the first time in 12 years.
Lee Hyun-jung, the ace who led the team's offense throughout the tournament, again delivered on the day with 27 points and 18 rebounds for a double-double.
