Korean women's handball heads to Olympics for 11th straight time

The team will kick off their tournament in a game against Germany in the preliminary group stage on July 25 at the South Paris Arena in Paris.

The Korean women's handball team trains at the South Paris Arena in Paris on July 23. [NEWS1]

The Korean women’s national handball team heads to the Paris Olympics as the country’s sole representative across all team sports, and they’ll be among the delegation’s first athletes to make a dent toward a podium spot.

Handball will run from July 25 to Aug. 11, the entire length of the Olympics. A total of 12 women’s teams and 12 men’s teams qualified for Paris.

The Korean women’s team, two-time gold medalists, qualified for the Olympics last August for the 11th consecutive time after winning the Asian Women’s Handball Qualification Tournament 2023 in Japan.

They’ll kick off their tournament in a game against Germany in the preliminary group stage on July 25 at the South Paris Arena in Paris.

Korea were once back-to-back women’s handball Olympic champions, winning gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. But they last medaled at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, earning bronze.

Handball is played on a 40-by-20-meter court between two teams, with seven players on either side.

The Korean women's handball team trains at the South Paris Arena in Paris on July 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Athletes are only permitted to take three steps before dribbling and cannot hold the ball for more than three seconds.

The team with more goals in two 30-minute halves wins the match.

Handball is considered a contact sport, therefore there are more rules that support the offensive nature and punish a defensive mindset.

On each end of the playing area, there are two goals which are surrounded by a semi-circle that is six meters in diameter.

Only the goalie is permitted to step in this area, but attacking players are allowed to jump into the semi-circle and shoot the ball before their feet land on the ground.

The handball court at the South Paris Arena in Paris [XINHUA/YONHAP]

There is another semi-circle nine meters away from the goal, the free-throw line.

In case of overtime, teams play two more five-minute halves.

If the game is still tied, both teams will pick five players each to shoot the ball from a line in between the goalie semi-circle and the free throw semi-circle.

Sudden death proceeds if the initial shootout does not determine a winner.

There are two types of handballs that players are permitted to use, a resin ball and a regular ball.

Teams at the Olympics use resin handballs as they provide more grip and allow players to move more freely with the ball.

The Korean women’s team will play five preliminary group stage games. The top eight teams reach the quarterfinals.

BY MARY YANG, KEVIN CHUNG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]