▲ The men’s 3×3 basketball national team
The South Korean men’s 3×3 basketball national team has advanced to the final of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, setting up a pursuit for the country’s first-ever gold medal in the event.
Led by head coach Bae Gil-tae, the men’s 3×3 basketball team defeated the Philippines 21-9 in the tournament semifinals held today (the 25th) at the special outdoor court in the Kinjofuto Station plaza in Nagoya, Japan.
This marks South Korea’s return to the final stage for the first time in eight years, since winning the silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where 3×3 basketball was first introduced as an Asian Games official sport.
The national squad—featuring Lee Joo-young, Kim Seung-woo (both from Yonsei University), Lee Dong-geun (Korea University), and Ku Min-gyo (Sungkyunkwan University), who combined to win the runners-up title at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup in April this year—will team up once again to capture the country’s first gold medal.
The final is scheduled to take place at 7:30 PM, where South Korea will face the winner of the semifinal match between Qatar and Iran for the gold.
South Korea took control of the game right from the start as Lee Joo-young and Kim Seung-woo landed consecutive 2-point shots, pulling ahead to an 8-1 lead just about 1 minute and 20 seconds into the match.
With 7 minutes and 9 seconds remaining, Kim Seung-woo scored another 2-pointer to widen the gap to 13-2, and maintaining a comfortable lead, Lee Joo-young wrapped up the game by reaching the 21-point mark first with 29 seconds left on the clock.
Kim Seung-woo delivered a well-rounded performance with 8 points and 3 rebounds, alongside Lee Joo-young with 6 points, Lee Dong-geun with 4 points and 5 rebounds, and Ku Min-gyo with 3 points and 5 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the women’s national team, which reached the Asian Games semifinals for the first time, lost 8-19 to Japan in the semifinals and moved down to the bronze medal match.
The women’s team—consisting of Kim Jung-eun (BNK), Choi Ye-seul (Samsung Life), Hur Yoo-jung (Shinhan Bank), and Song Yun-ha (KB)—will face Thailand for the medal.
(Photo provided by the Korea Basketball Association, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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