Men's hockey team beat China to take Asiad bronze

The Korean men’s hockey team took bronze after a 2-1 victory over China at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Friday, securing their first Asiad medal since 2014.

Korean hockey players celebrate after defeating China in the men's hockey bronze medal match at the Hangzhou Asian Games in Hangzhou, China on Friday. [AP/YONHAP]

The Korean men’s hockey team took bronze after a 2-1 victory over China at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Friday, securing their first Asiad medal since 2014.

Friday’s bronze medal game at Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, China was the second clash between Korea and China at the Asiad, after the first clash in Pool B ended with a 3-2 win for China on Thursday last week.

The first quarter of the game saw both sides score one goal each, with China’s Gao Jiesheng managing a point first from a penalty corner and Kim Sung-hyun equalizing immediately.

Both sides then struggled to score through the second and third quarters and no goals followed in the fourth quarter, until Jang Jong-hyun scored a last-minute goal — literally — from a penalty corner in the 59th minute.

That goal sealed Korea’s 2-1 victory, with the men’s team claiming bronze. The bronze was Korea’s first medal at the Asian Games since 2014, when they also took bronze after a victory over Malaysia.

This year’s bronze is the Korean men’s hockey team’s eighth medal at the Asiad, having won four gold, one silver and three bronze.

Korea is guaranteed to add one more medal in hockey, as the women’s team is set to play the final, also against China, on Saturday.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]