The South Korea men’s field hockey team secured a 5-0 victory over Sri Lanka on October 26 at Kakamigahara Green Stadium in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, positioning themselves third in Group A at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Under the direction of coach Min Tae-seok, the squad holds 9 points with a goal differential of 9, trailing second-place Japan by goal differential alone as the tournament enters its final group-stage fixtures.
Group A Standings and Tournament Format
Twelve national teams are competing across two groups in the Asian Games men’s field hockey tournament, with the top two finishers from each group advancing to the tournament semifinals. South Korea opened their group campaign with identical 5-0 wins against Bangladesh and Indonesia before dropping an 8-2 decision to India. Following the win against Sri Lanka, South Korea sits in third place behind Japan, which held 9 points and a 25-goal differential while having played one fewer match.
South Korea will face host nation Japan in their final group match on October 28 at 5:00 PM. The team aims for a victory over Japan to secure second place in Group A and advance to the medal rounds. The men’s hockey program has captured four gold medals in Asian Games history, last claiming the top podium spot at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and chasing their first title in 20 years.
Match Progression Against Sri Lanka
The match remained scoreless through the first quarter before South Korea broke the deadlock late in the second period. Park Chul-eon of Seongnam City Hall capitalized on a penalty corner opportunity to net the opening goal. The scoreline held steady until a late offensive surge in the final quarter.
Son Da-in of Seongnam City Hall initiated the fourth-quarter scoring flurry with an additional goal. Im Do-hyun of the Armed Forces Athletic Corps and Yang Ji-hoon of Gimhae City Hall followed with subsequent goals to seal the 5-0 margin.
Key Match Details
- Date: October 26
- Location: Kakamigahara Green Stadium, Gifu Prefecture, Japan
- Score: South Korea 5, Sri Lanka 0
- Goalscorers: Park Chul-eon, Son Da-in, Im Do-hyun, Yang Ji-hoon
- Next Opponent: Japan (October 28, 5:00 PM)
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