[Asian Games] Men's Handball Falls to Middle Eastern Powerhouse Bahrain in First Final Round Match

Led briefly in the second half but ultimately fell
Must win all remaining matches to reach the semifinals
Middle Eastern dominance continues in Asian handball

The South Korean men's handball team lost 26-29 to Bahrain in Group 1 of the men's final league at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, held on the 29th at the Zhejiang Gongshang University Sports Center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. With this result, South Korea must win both remaining matches against Iran and Kuwait to advance to the semifinals.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Trailing 10-13 at halftime, South Korea tied the game 20-20 with about 15 minutes left in the second half thanks to a goal by Park Se-woong (SK). They took the lead 22-20 with consecutive goals by Jang Dong-hyun (SK), but then conceded six consecutive goals to Bahrain, ultimately losing the match. South Korea will play their second match against Kuwait on the 30th.

Meanwhile, the South Korean men's handball team is aiming to reclaim the championship for the first time in 13 years since the 2010 Guangzhou Games. Qatar won the titles at the 2014 Incheon Games and the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. Middle Eastern countries have long emerged as handball powerhouses by actively recruiting naturalized players backed by 'oil money.'