Key facts
- North Korea's women's football team will play its first group-stage match at the Asian Games on Monday.
- The team will compete in Pool F against Bangladesh, Myanmar, and South Korea.
- North Korea sent a 188-member delegation, including 107 athletes, to the games.
- This is North Korea's first participation in an Asian Games tournament held in Japan.
- The North Korean women's football team is considered a strong gold medal contender.
- Pang Chol-mi is a gold medal hopeful in women's boxing, and Song Kuk-hyang is a contender in women's weightlifting.
North Korea is set to begin its campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, with its women's football team scheduled to play its first group-stage match on Monday. This marks the reclusive nation's first appearance at an Asian Games held on Japanese soil, sending a delegation of 188 individuals, including 107 athletes.
The women's football team will face Bangladesh in Pool F at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, followed by matches against Myanmar and South Korea later in the week. The team is considered a strong contender for the gold medal, bolstered by key players like captain Kim Kyong-yong.
The men's football team is slated to play China on Wednesday. The North Korean contingent arrived in Japan on Friday, ahead of the main delegation's arrival. The Japanese government had previously banned North Korean nationals but lifted the restriction for the Games.
North Korea anticipates winning more medals than at the 2023 Asian Games in China, where they secured 11 golds, 18 silvers, and 10 bronzes. Other medal hopefuls include boxer Pang Chol-mi, a bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, weightlifter Song Kuk-hyang, and gymnast An Chang-ok, who aims to defend her titles.