"To be honest, I did not feel certain we would win when we left for the tournament. But now that the gold medal is around my neck, I am so happy that I am almost embarrassed I ever doubted it."
Kang Lee-seul, captain of the South Korean women's basketball team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, spoke by telephone with The Seoul Economic Daily on the 27th after returning home, her voice carrying the joy of reclaiming the title for the first time in 12 years.
Korea completed the golden finish even after losing key players. Park Ji-su, the center long regarded as the team's cornerstone, could not join because of a lingering injury, and Park Ji-hyun, who plays in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), was unavailable because of her club schedule.
"It is true that we faced a crisis when our main players dropped out, but the strength of this team is that the tougher things get, the tighter we become," Kang said. "We each ran one step more for one another, and even when mistakes happened we offered encouragement and applause and built our teamwork. Because we came together as one team like that, we were able to win the gold."
The biggest hurdle came in the semifinal against China on the 25th. Center Zhang Ziyu, who stands more than 220 centimeters tall, loomed as a wall. But the Korean squad shut her down with tight double- and triple-teaming. In the decisive fourth quarter, Kang scored eight straight points as her signature shooting caught fire, snapping a six-game losing streak against China with a thrilling 85-80 win.
Riding the momentum, Korea swallowed the final as well. The team had lost its last seven meetings with Japan, its opponent in the title game, including two straight defeats in exhibition matches held in Tokyo in August. But Japan could not stop a Korean side with its blood up. Kang again starred in the final with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, and seven rebounds as Korea beat Japan 75-70 to take the gold for the first time since the 2014 Incheon Games.
Kang, who won silver as the youngest member of the unified Korean team at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games and bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, completed her Asian Games medal collection with this title. "Looking at the gold medal, I thought, 'I really have been on the national team for a long time,'" she said with a smile. "The silver and bronze are at my parents' home in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province. Around this winter I plan to gather all three medals, put them around my neck and take a commemorative photo," she added, with evident pride.
At this tournament, Korean basketball made history by winning both the men's and women's titles for the first time in 12 years. In 3-on-3 basketball, the men's and women's teams took gold and bronze, respectively, signaling a striking revival for the sport in Korea. "We had encouraged the men's team, saying, 'Let's take gold together,' and when it actually happened everyone was so happy we kept asking, 'Can this really be true?'" Kang said. "I heard that basketball drew a lot of public attention through these Asian Games. I hope that interest is not a one-off and continues. The players also have to work harder and improve in their own positions to show play that matches the support from fans."
Kang, who first earned a place on the senior national team in 2014, closed the interview by conveying her special affection for this squad and her goals ahead. "In my 12 years with the national team, this was such an excellent group that I would dare call it the best team ever. Wearing the national colors is not something you can keep doing just because you want to, nor something you can put down just because you want to stop. I want to gladly give my best and play until the moment the national team no longer needs me."
