After being MIA for the last three years, North Korea’s strong lineup of athletes is set to make an appearance at the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games.
In 2021, they bowed out of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, citing that they needed to protect their athletes from the COVID-19 pandemic. This announcement, which came after a meeting of the National Olympic Committee, marked the first time the isolated nation has officially withdrawn from the event.
Because of the no-show, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to punish and ban North Korea from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
With the ban officially lifted this year, North Korea is set to enter the Hangzhou Asian Games with 191 of its best athletes. This is their first international multi-sport appearance since 2018.
According to reports, their weightlifting team was due to compete in a tournament in Cuba in June of this year, but they did not show up. Their taekwondo team, however, did participate in a tournament held in Kazakhstan last month, which marked their first participation in a sporting event this year.
This year, the country will compete in 18 sports for the games that will take place on Sept. 23-Oct. 8. This includes sports in which the nation’s athletes are regarded as formidable, such as athletics, gymnastics, basketball, soccer, boxing, and weightlifting.
North Korea’s last appearance
North Korea was last seen participating in the Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games, where they won 12 gold medals, 12 silver medals, and 13 bronze medals. Of those, eight were won in weightlifting, with the rest coming from wrestling, shooting, and gymnastics.
During that time, the athletes not only captured medals but also attracted the spectators’ attention as they openly talked about their hardships and journey to the reporters and journalists, which was an uncommon sight for everyone. They also mingled with the South Korean team, posed with them for photos, and interacted with the spectators.
“They are not scary or anything like portrayed on the internet, it’s been the normal girl talk with them.” South Korea basketball player Kim Han-byul said.
It was a heart-warming moment for the people who witnessed the North Korean athletes unhinging their fun and friendly side. And the fans had Kim Il Guk, the sports minister, to thank for in giving the athletes the green light to talk about topics that had previously been taboo.
“Our athletes will get national hero status once they return and will get big attention from our people. Everyone will be proud.”
The head coach, Kim Kwang Dok, also revealed that aside from hero status, the winners were also awarded a house and a car.
Fans are now anticipating whether the athletes from North Korea will come back stronger and repeat their historic medal hauls at the upcoming Asian Games.
The photo above is from a YouTube screen grab