The sudden cancellation of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022 has left South Korea's U23 men's soccer head coach Hwang Sun-hong doubly worried.
In an interview with the Korean media, Hwang Sun-hong confessed on the 9th, "The AFC U-23 Asian Cup, which was originally scheduled to be held in June, is now a pending issue. The postponement of the Asian Games makes me worry about how to adjust the mental state of those players who will soon be overage."
According to Korean law, winning a gold medal at the Asian Games exempts you from military service. However, due to the postponement of the Asian Games, players born in 1999 will face an awkward situation. It would be good news if the age limit for the Asian Games could be postponed for a year, as it was for the Tokyo Olympics, i.e., changed to under 24 years old. But for now, the dust has not settled on this change.
The South Korean U23 national team was scheduled to compete in the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan in June, followed by the Hangzhou Asian Games in September. The team had hoped to use the Asian Cup to break in and try to make it a three-peat at the Hangzhou Asian Games. But now, this strategy may need to be readjusted.
As the defending champions of the U-23 Asian Cup, South Korea will be placed in Group C with Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia in the Asian Cup in June. Facing this challenge, Hwang Sun-hong said, "The pressure is really high. As the previous champions, the road to defending the title is full of challenges. The team must overcome the difficulties and the will of the players is crucial. Let's work together.
