Korea-Japan rivalry continues at Tokyo Games
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| Korea and Japan could clash in the quarterfinal of the men's football at the Tokyo Olympics. Korea Times file |
No-spectator Olympics to benefit Team Korea against Japan
By Kang Seung-woo
Whenever Korea and Japan met in any international sporting event, they were the biggest draw from fans from the both countries.
Fueled by recent historical and territorial feuds between the two sides, the rivalry is expected to further intensify as their squads are likely to square off against each other in several events, some of which could decisively affect the two sides' medal hauls.
Although Japan may have a home-field advantage this time, it is a silver lining that Team Korea will not see raucous Japanese fans ― even some extremely imperialist Japanese spectators using the Rising Sun flag ― rooting for their athletes in the stands thanks to the Olympic organizer's decision to hold the event without spectators due to the city's coronavirus state of emergency.
The events drawing the most attention are baseball and football, where the bilateral rivalry has been building up for years.
The national baseball team, led by manager Kim Kyung-moon, is not grouped with Japan in the preliminary round. But the arch rivals are set to meet each other for a semifinal berth if both countries finish first in the opening round.
Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball is regarded as superior to the Korea Baseball Organization. But Korea carries a better Olympic pedigree. Korea won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and defeated Japan in the bronze medal match at the 2000 Sydney Games. Japan has collected one silver and two bronze medals at the Summer Games.
In men's football, Korea, which has clinched the Olympic berth for a record ninth-straight time, will not face Japan in the preliminary round.
However, another rival match between the two countries can be set up in the quarterfinal if Korea and Japan finish first and second in their respective groups or the other way round.
Their last Olympic clash in football took 먹튀검증업체 at the 2012 London Olympics when Korea ousted Japan in the third-place match to take the bronze medal.
Ball sports, other than baseball and football, will also highlight the athletic rivalry between Korea and Japan.
The women's volleyball team, led by Kim Yeon-koung, one of the nation's best players, if not the best-ever, is seeking to earn a medal in the sport for the first time since the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where Korea won bronze.
Korea, which lost to Japan in the bronze medal match in London, avenged its loss four years later in Rio with a victory behind Kim's solid performance.
The two sides are scheduled to square off on July 31.
In women's handball, Korea and Japan, bracketed in Group A with Angola, Norway, Montenegro and the Netherlands, will have a preliminary match, July 29.
The Korea-Japan rivalry will likely be strong in individual events also, including judo, table tennis, wrestling and golf.
In particular, women's golf should unfold interestingly.
Korea will field four LPGA star players ― all of whom are ranked among the top five players in the world ― to compete at the Tokyo Games. They are No. 2 Ko Jin-young, No. 4 Kim Sei-young and No. 5 Kim Hyo-joo along with defending Olympic champion, No. 3 Park In-bee.
However, Japan's Nasa Hataoka, ranked ninth in the world, has been emerging as an up-and-coming medal contender based on her recent strong performance. Hataoka won the Marathon LPGA Classic earlier this month, while finishing second at the U.S. Women's Open in June.
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| Kim Yeon-koung participates in a training session at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps |
With most of the Olympic events set to be held without spectators, Korean athletes will be relieved from facing their Japanese counterparts with a loudly cheering crowd of home fans in the venues, creating more of an atmosphere of playing at a neutral site.
In the lead-up to the Tokyo Games, there have been concerns in Korea that some Japanese fans may wave the Rising Sun flags in the stands. The flag is widely regarded here as a symbol of Japan's imperialism and its World War II atrocities and many people liken it to Nazi Germany's swastika.
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