LoL and Fighting Games Lead Korea's 11-Event Esports Delegation to Nagoya
The 20th Asian Games in Nagoya opens on September 19, marking the second time esports has been included as an official medal event following its debut at Jakarta-Palembang in 2018 and Hangzhou in 2023.
At the inaugural Hangzhou Games, South Korea competed in League of Legends and StarCraft II. While Maru (OnSide) secured gold in StarCraft II against Taiwan's Nice, the LoL team fell to China. The Chinese squad, featuring players like Mlxg and Ming, achieved a historic victory that was widely covered by state broadcaster CCTV and celebrated as a national triumph.
By the 2023 Hangzhou Games, esports had been elevated to official status. South Korea won two gold medals in League of Legends (with Faker, Canna, and others) and one silver in PUBG Mobile. The tournament also saw a legendary performance from Kim Gwan-woo in Street Fighter, who became an instant star at age 40.
For the upcoming Nagoya Games, the esports program has expanded to include 11 titles. South Korea will field 36 athletes across nine disciplines, including League of Legends, fighting games (Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, King of Fighters XV), Pokémon UNITE, Honor of Kings, and Puyo Puyo Champions. With China absent from the competition, South Korea is heavily favored to win gold in LoL, while fans await results in the fighting game category.
The Korean delegation has already begun pre-tournament training at Jinchun Sports Village. After a formal mobilization drill in Daejeon, the team will travel to Nagoya for the main event, which runs until September 20.
Имба
