Ryu Ji-hyun, manager of the Korean national baseball team, smiles during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, announcing his roster for the 2026 Asian Games. Yonhap
Korea has dominated the baseball tournament at the Asian Games for years, having won four straight gold medals starting in 2010 in Guangzhou, China.
Considering the level of competition, with the baseball-crazed Japan not sending its top professionals and Chinese Taipei failing to get past Korea year after year, Korea will once again be regarded as a gold medal favorite at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan's Aichi Prefecture.
In announcing his 24-man roster for the Sept. 21-27 tournament Thursday, Korea manager Ryu Ji-hyun said he expects nothing less than the top prize.
"If we don't win the gold medal at the Asian Games, the competition doesn't really mean anything to us," Ryu said at a press conference in Seoul. "On paper, we have some young players with little experience. But if everyone can come together as a team and pursue the same goal with the national flag on their chests, then I think those players will exceed expectations."
