When we think of rugby, we usually imagine a scene of a total of 30 players, 15 each, engaging in a rough physical fight.

The ‘Rugby World Cup’, the sport’s most prestigious competition held every four years, is also a 15-a-side tournament.

However, Asian Games rugby is a 7-a-side game, not a 15-a-side game.

The 15-a-side game is long, with 40 minutes each in the first and second halves, and requires a lot of stamina, so players must rest for 2 to 3 days per game.

On the other hand, the 7-a-side game is more suitable for general competitions as the game ends in 15 minutes with 7 minutes each in the first and second halves and a 1-minute break. Starting with the 2006 Doha Asian Games, the 15-a-side game will disappear and only the 7-a-side game will be held.소닉카지노

Coach Lee Myung-geun, who leads the Hangzhou Asian Games national team, played a key role in winning gold medals in both the 15- and 7-a-side events at the 2002 Busan Asian Games during his active career.

At the time, Korea, which also took the top spot at the 1998 Bangkok Games, was the strongest country in Asian rugby, winning a total of four gold medals in two tournaments.

However, for Korean rugby and Coach Lee, the 2006 Doha Games remained painful.

The national team that Coach Lee played for at the time lost 26-27 in the final against Japan after allowing a come-from-behind try from Akihito Yamada just before the end of the game.

Korean rugby, which failed to win three consecutive Asian Games, was behind Japan and Hong Kong in subsequent tournaments and only won bronze medals three times in a row.

Korea, which fell from its position as the strongest player in Asia starting from the Doha Games, has been chasing Japan and Hong Kong.

This ‘catch-up structure’ continues even to the current Hangzhou Asian Games.

Korean rugby lost in the final of the Doha Asian Games

Korean rugby has never been at the top of the Asian Rugby Sevens Series, a 7-a-side rugby competition between Asian countries.

Last year, Korea took second place in the overall rankings of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds of the Sevens Series. The winning team was Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is actually considered the most threatening team in the Hangzhou Asian Games.

This is because there is a possibility of mobilizing British players who have stronger physiques than Asian players.

Several athletes who meet the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) regulation that ‘naturalized athletes must reside in the country for more than three years after naturalization’ can show off their glory in Hangzhou.

In the first match of this year’s Sevens Series held at the Southeast Asiad Stadium in Incheon on the 29th of last month, Korea lost 5-19 to Hong Kong and finished in third place. This competition was held right before the Asian Games and was evaluated as a ‘preliminary match’.

Meanwhile, another powerhouse, Japan, is focusing on the 2023 15-a-side World Cup being held in Paris, France.

It is not easy to have 100% strength in the 7-a-side Asian Games held during the same period, so some say it is ‘worth it’, but it is still an opponent that you cannot let down your guard.

In this tournament, Korea was assigned to Group B along with Taiwan and the OCA team. Sri Lanka, which has been disciplined by World Rugby (WR), the governing body of rugby, cannot use its own name and will compete under the name of OCA.

The 1st and 2nd place winners from each of the 4 groups will play a quarterfinal tournament, and the 1st place winner of Group B will face the 2nd place team from Group A, which includes Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia, in the quarterfinals.

The first game is against Taiwan, scheduled for the 24th.

Coach Lee Myung-geun attending media day

The national team aims for the gold medal by surpassing Hong Kong and Japan.

Coach Lee said on the 25th of last month, about a month before the competition, “We will compete with Hong Kong and Japan this time, and our enthusiasm for the Asian Games is especially great. Our seniors have also been strong in the Asian Games for generations,” and “The players’ will is amazing.” He expressed his determination.

He continued, “Other business teams have been very considerate when it comes to recruiting players. We are willing to take on situations where team training becomes difficult and help the national team with the hope of winning a gold medal. We have to repay our sacrifices. We will come back with a gold medal.” I said, give me strength.