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| Korean athletes and officials pose during the launch ceremony for the Hangzhou Asian Games delegation at Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in Seoul, Sept. 12. Yonhap |
Korea began its quest for redemption at the Asian Games on Tuesday, launching a record delegation for the competition in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
The Korean Sport Olympic Committee (KSOC) held the team launch ceremony at the Olympic Park in Seoul, with hundreds of athletes on hand.
Korea plans to send 867 athletes, and 273 coaches and officials in 39 out of 40 sports contested at the 19th Summer Asiad. It is Korea's largest-ever athletic delegation to the continental competition. Postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hangzhou Asian Games will run from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.
"This year's Asian Games will mark the new beginning for Korean sports," KSOC President Lee Kee-heung said. "We have been making progress in many different sports and have seen the emergence of young athletes. I can't wait to see our athletes tackle challenges at this year's Asian Games."
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| Choi Yoon, head of the Korean delegation to the Hangzhou Asian Games, waves the Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag, during the team launch ceremony at Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in Seoul, Sept. 12. Yonhap |
Lee called on athletes to represent the country well away from their competition.
"I hope our athletes will see their hard work and dedication pay off," Lee added. "We at the KSOC will spare no efforts to create an environment where our athletes will be able to focus on their competition without distractions."
When marking the 30-day countdown to the Asian Games on Aug. 24, the KSOC said Korea's goal is to finish in third place in the medal race, behind China and Japan, with about 45 to 50 gold medals.
It was an unusually modest, if realistic, goal for one of Asia's sporting powers.
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| Korean athletes competing in the Hangzhou Asian Games take part in the team launch ceremony at Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in Seoul, Sept. 12. Yonhap |
Korea had finished in second place behind China at every Asian Games from 1998 to 2014, but the streak ended in 2018 in Indonesia, where Korea ended in third behind China and Japan with 49 gold medals. It was Korea's lowest Asiad gold medal tally since 1982.
Korea also finished 26 gold medals behind Japan in 2018, and the KSOC's goal is to cut that deficit by as many as 10.
Choi Yoon, president of the Korea Rugby Union who will serve as the head of the Korean delegation in Hangzhou, said the athletes will try to return fans' unwavering support with great performances all around.
"I hope the value of the sweat that our athletes have shed will not simply be defined by the colors of their medals," Choi said. "I would like our fans to feel happy just by watching our athletes give their best in their respective sports."
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| Korean athletes and officials pose for photos during the launch ceremony for the Hangzhou Asian Games delegation at Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in Seoul, Sept. 12. Yonhap |
Sports Minister Park Bo-gyoon read a congratulatory message by President Yoon Suk Yeol, who expressed his pride and joy of watching hardworking athletes.
"Despite the challenge of having the competition postponed by a year, I am sure our athletes will bring people so much joy with their passion," Yoon said, according to the minister. "I will join the rest of the nation in cheering you on. The government will continue to support elite sports and improve the welfare of athletes, and make sure our athletes' hard work will bear fruit." (Yonhap)
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