Korea's 4th Consecutive Baseball Gold at Stake... Automatic Silver Medal if Final Can't Be Played Due to Rain [Asian Games]

If the final is canceled due to rain, Taiwan wins the gold medal
"They seem likely to proceed unless the weather reaches disaster level"

Concerns are emerging that the Korean national baseball team's attempt to win a fourth consecutive Asian Games gold medal may be canceled before it even begins. If the baseball final cannot be held by the 8th due to rain, Taiwan will be awarded the gold medal.

On the 7th at 7 p.m. (Korean time), the baseball team led by manager Ryu Jung-il is scheduled to play the final of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games against Taiwan at the Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center Field 1 in Zhejiang Province, China.

No Si-hwan (center), Kang Baek-ho (left), and Moon Bo-kyung, who were the 3rd, 4th, and 5th batters in the core lineup of South Korea in the game against Taiwan on the 2nd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, light rain has been falling in Shaoxing since the morning of the day, and according to the baseball event regulations of the Hangzhou Asian Games, the final will be postponed to the next day, the 8th, in case of rain.

If the game cannot be held on the 8th, the day of the closing ceremony, due to rain, the final will be canceled, and the medals will be decided according to the 'ranking determination method.'

According to the organizing committee's rulebook, the gold medal goes to the team that won the group stage or super round head-to-head match, and Korea lost to Taiwan 0-4 in the Group B group stage on the 2nd.

The probability of precipitation in Shaoxing is 60% on the 7th and 60% on the 8th as well. If the final is canceled, the Korean national team will miss the chance to even attempt to win the gold medal.

South Korea's manager Ryu Joong-il is encouraging Noh Si-hwan after the game.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

However, the possibility of the final being completely canceled is small. Since the tournament regulations state that "the organizing committee must make every effort to ensure the final is not canceled," unless the weather conditions are severe like a disaster, the final is likely to be held on the afternoon of the 7th.

A Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) official said, "Unless there is heavy rain, the organizing committee will not decide to cancel due to rain," and added, "We will do our best to ensure the final can be held without any problems."