Korea’s 3-on-3 men’s basketball team defeated Qatar in Nagoya, Japan, to win its first Asian Games gold medal.
This victory was the Korean delegation’s 13th gold medal at these Games and the 800th gold medal in the history of the Summer Asian Games.
How did this record, achieved by four university athletes, change the disappointing outcomes of the previous two Games?
3-Line Summary
1. Korea’s 3-on-3 men’s basketball team won its first gold medal
2. Qatar match: 19-10, Korea’s 800th gold medal overall
3. Consecutive outside shots after 11-6 secured the winning momentum
The 800th Gold Medal Completed in Nagoya on the 25th
Korea’s national team defeated Qatar 19-10 in the 3-on-3 men’s basketball final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held on September 25 at a special court in the plaza at Kinjofuto Station in Nagoya, Japan. This championship was Korea’s first gold medal in 3-on-3 basketball at the Asian Games.
The gold medal that day was significant even as a number. It became Korea’s 800th gold medal in the history of the Summer Asian Games. It followed Choi Yun-chil’s gold medal in the 1,500m at the 1954 Manila Games, when he won Korea’s first gold medal. The original numeric form is 1500m.
3-on-3 basketball has been an official Asian Games event since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. Korea won a silver medal at the first Games and finished 4th at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. This was the team’s first time reaching the top in its third attempt.
The Decisive 1 Minute as the Score Widened from 11-6 to 15-7
The national team, composed of Lee Joo-young, Kim Seung-woo, Lee Dong-geun, and Koo Min-gyo, took an early lead against Qatar, whose players averaged 2m in height. The moment that shifted the game decisively came with 1 minute 29 seconds remaining, when Korea led 11-6.
Consecutive outside shots by Lee Dong-geun and Lee Joo-young made the score 15-7. According to KBS reporting, Lee Joo-young’s outside shot with 24.7 seconds remaining and Lee Dong-geun’s driving score with 4.6 seconds remaining completed Korea’s 19-10 victory.
Lee Joo-young scored a team-high 9 points, including three 2-point shots. Lee Dong-geun recorded 6 rebounds and 3 points, while Kim Seung-woo added 5 points and 4 rebounds, and Koo Min-gyo contributed 2 points and 3 rebounds. Rather than a victory resolved by one player, it was a championship created by all four sharing the scoring and rebounding.
Four University Athletes Write the Record of a First Championship
According to JoongAng Ilbo, this national team consisted of university athletes rather than professional players. Lee Joo-young and Kim Seung-woo attend Yonsei University, Lee Dong-geun attends Korea University, and Koo Min-gyo attends Sungkyunkwan University.
The silver medal and 4th-place finish at the previous two Games became the starting point for this championship. In particular, the team’s ability not to be overpowered by its opponent’s height in the final and to combine the outside shooting and rebounding required in a short game shaped the content of its first gold medal.
The 800th gold medal is a milestone in Korea’s long-accumulated Asian Games record. At the same time, for 3-on-3 men’s basketball, it became the first confirmed Asian Games championship record.
References
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