Women's handball team wins 4th straight, eyes gold-medal showdown with Japan on Sunday

South Korea's men's and women's handball national teams both recorded commanding victories Friday at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The women's team, coached by Lee Gye-cheong, defeated China 37-17 in their fourth round-robin match at Entrio in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture. South Korea led 19-8 at halftime and extended the margin to 18-9 in the second half.

With four wins and no losses, South Korea sits second behind Japan, which is unbeaten in five matches. The women's tournament uses a full round-robin format — with no group stage — to determine final standings. If South Korea beats Vietnam on Saturday, both teams will have five wins, setting up a de facto gold-medal match against Japan on Sunday in the final round-robin fixture.

The schedule works against South Korea. The team must play three consecutive days starting Friday, while Japan has Saturday off before facing Korea.

Still, the team is determined to settle a score. South Korea is the dominant force in Asian Games women's handball, having won the gold medal seven times since the sport was introduced at the 1990 Beijing Games. But at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, South Korea lost the final to Japan 19-29, surrendering the title. A win this time would reclaim the top spot for the first time in eight years.

The men's team, coached by Jo Yeong-shin, beat Kazakhstan 44-22 in their fourth Group B match at Kasugai Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture on the same day. South Korea dominated throughout, leading 23-10 at halftime and outscoring Kazakhstan 21-12 in the second half.

South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals as the second-place team in Group B with a record of two wins, one draw and one loss, behind Bahrain, which went 4-0. They will face Group A's third-place finisher China at 2 p.m. Saturday at the same venue for a spot in the semifinals. A win would likely set up a semifinal clash with Group A winner Qatar.