(Asiad) Baseball star hoping to grow from up-and-down experience

TOYOHASHI, Japan, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- With the score tied at 1-1 in the Asian Games baseball gold medal game Sunday, Kim Do-yeong delivered a go-ahead infield single for South Korea in the eighth inning, keying its 3-1 victory over the host country Japan.

Still, Kim emerged from the victory celebration with a sour taste in his mouth. He finished the six-game tournament with a .250 batting average (6-for-24) with zero home runs -- not the kind of performance Kim, who leads the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with 40 homers this year, expected from himself.

"I am just sorry to my manager and my teammates, and also to my fans," Kim said, with no hint of joy after the game at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium in Toyohashi, southeast of the main host city, Nagoya. "I am sure they wanted a lot more from me, and I was not able to reward their faith. I think I still have long ways to go. I don't even know if I will get another chance to play at an international tournament."

Kim, the 2024 KBO MVP, said he came away from the Asian Games feeling he has to "go back to square one."

"I cannot describe my feelings right now, but I never want to have them ever again," Kim said. "If I ever get a chance to redeem myself, I will take advantage of that the best I can."

Kim said he put so much pressure on himself to deliver when he stepped up to the plate in the eighth inning, but even though he did get that key RBI, he is still not happy with his performance overall.

"I think this sense of disappointment will stay with me a long time," Kim said. "But on a more positive note, I think this will be another opportunity for me to grow."

After Kim's hit put South Korea up 2-1, Moon Bo-gyeong followed with another RBI single that pushed the lead to 3-1. The bullpen made the score hold up over the final two innings.

"I really wanted that extra RBI in that moment. I was looking for a breaking ball, and when I got one to hit, I was able to react quickly," Moon said of his hit. "We had our backs against the wall. We never wanted to lose this one, and I think our collective focus was really sharp today."

South Korea had lost to Japan 5-0 in the Super Round two days before the final. Moon, 26, said he had worried that some of his younger teammates might struggle to deal with the pressure to win Sunday in light of that earlier loss, but he instead came away impressed with their fortitude.

"I had to think long and hard about what I had to tell the guys after that loss," said Moon, who won the 2023 Asian Games gold after an early loss to Chinese Taipei. "But even before I said anything, the guys were ready to go to battle again tonight."