Korea falls to Qatar in Asian Games handball semifinal

Korea lost to defending champion Qatar 32-20 in the men's handball semifinals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, ending its bid for a first Asian Games gold medal in the sport since 2010.

The Korea Times reported that Qatar is seeking a fourth consecutive Asian Games title, while Korea will move on to Tuesday's bronze medal match against Japan.

The Korea Times reported that Korea stayed close through the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half but could not complete a comeback against Qatar at Entrio in Inazawa, northwest of Nagoya.

Korea men's handball head coach Cho Young-shin praised his team after the loss. "I told my players that I'm proud of them. We lost the match, but our players did well," Cho said, according to The Korea Times.

Cho said Korea's effort stood out despite the gap with Qatar. "I think our players' resolve and determination to win were much bigger than those of the opponent," Cho said.

Qatar entered the match as the defending champion and is trying to win its fourth straight Asian Games gold medal. Korea had won gold in 2010, silver in 2014, bronze in 2018 and missed the podium in 2023, The Korea Times reported.

"From an objective perspective, the Qatari team, pursuing its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, is about seven to three better than us, I think," Cho said. "But our players played on equal terms for 60 minutes, never giving up and showing all they have."

Korea will next face Japan in the bronze medal match. "Yes, we have one more match tomorrow, and we face Japan at its home," Cho said. "But we don't want to lose a match we can't afford to lose. We'll do our best to win the next and final match."

The result leaves Korea one match to salvage a medal after its gold-medal run ended in the semifinals.