‘Targeting 5 Golds, But No Gold for Two Days’ — Korea Shooting Federation Rolls Up Sleeves for Athlete Support: Securing Private Buses, Ramen, and Kimchi

The South Korean national shooting team is facing a slightly bumpy start at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. In response, the Korea Shooting Federation has stepped in.

On the 21st, the federation held a joint meeting at the Aichi Prefecture Comprehensive Shooting Range in Japan, attended by national team coaches, the federation’s secretariat, and executive leadership, to discuss support measures for the delegation.

Federation President Kang Yeon-sul has been visiting the venue daily since before the opening ceremony to look after the athletes. However, no gold medals have emerged through the second day of shooting events. The national team originally set a target of 5 gold medals, 9 silver medals, and 5 bronze medals for this tournament. Following a shaky beginning, an emergency meeting was promptly convened.

Key Support Measures Implemented

During the meeting, national team coaches voiced difficulties regarding transportation. Due to the limited operation frequency of official shuttle buses provided by the organizing committee, travel times were excessively long. Athletes had to endure standing for over an hour on crowded buses without any opportunity to rest along the way.

Private Transportation: Accepting the coaches' feedback, the federation directly arranged and secured its own private buses. These will be deployed starting at 7:00 AM on the 22nd through the end of the competition to transport Korean athletes competing that day.
Nutritional Support: Concerns were raised regarding the poor quality of the official lunchboxes provided at the venue. Consequently, the federation decided to locally procure and supply Korean ramen and kimchi for the athletes. Additionally, encouragement money was distributed to help athletes relieve fatigue by enjoying Japanese cuisine after finishing their events.

Strengthening Sports Diplomacy

The federation is also pouring efforts into sports diplomacy. During the tournament, President Kang met with International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) President Luciano Rossi, Asian Shooting Confederation (ASC) President Sheikh Salman Al-Sabah, ASC Vice President Kiichiro Matsumaru (Honorary President of the Japan Rifle Shooting Federation), and the President of the Chinese Shooting Association to discuss preparation statuses for the World Shooting Championships to be held in Daegu next year.

Meanwhile, Ban Hyo-jin and Park Ha-jun will challenge for a gold medal once again in the 10m air rifle mixed team event held on the 22nd.