(Asiad) Men's handball coach praises players despite semifinal loss to Qatar at Asian Games

INAZAWA, Japan, Sept. 28 (Yonhap) -- After losing their berth in the men's handball final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, South Korea's head coach praised his players for competing on equal terms with defending champion Qatar.

"I told my players that I'm proud of them. We lost the match, but our players did well," said Cho Young-shin, who broke into tears after the semifinal.

"I think our players' resolve and determination to win were much bigger than those of the opponent."

South Korea lost to Qatar 32-20 in the event's semifinal at Entrio in Inazawa, just northwest of Nagoya, Japan.

The team fought a seesaw battle in the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half against Qatar, which is seeking its fourth consecutive Asian Games title.

But South Korea failed to make a comeback in the end.

"From an objective perspective, the Qatari team, pursuing its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, is about seven to three better than us, I think," he said.

"But our players played on equal terms for 60 minutes, never giving up and showing all they have."

South Korea had sought its first gold medal in men's handball since 2010, when it beat Iran in the final.

After winning gold at the 2010 Asian Games, South Korea won silver in 2014 and bronze in 2018, while failing to reach the podium in 2023.

However, the team's Asian Games campaign is not over, as it will take on Japan in the bronze medal match on Tuesday.

"Yes, we have one more match tomorrow, and we face Japan at its home," Cho said, adding that the home fans' enthusiastic support would give a boost to the Japanese team.

"But we don't want to lose a match we can't afford to lose. We'll do our best to win the next and final match."