South Korea Name 20 for Women’s ACT: Three-Time Champions Eye a Fourth Title in Bhopal
Nobody in Bhopal has won this tournament more often than South Korea and India. Three titles each. Korea just haven’t won one in a while.
The Koreans have named their 20-player squad for the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, with Lee Yu-ri as captain and Kim Yong-soo as head coach. Their titles came in 2010, 2011 and 2018, and the wait since then has been long. India have won the last two editions. China keep reaching finals. Korea’s job in Bhopal is to remind everyone they belong in that conversation.
Lee Yu-ri leads a group with two goalkeepers, Lee Seo-yeon and Kim Da-hae, and plenty of experience around them. Na Kyeong-min, Joo So-yeon, Hong Sol-beot-nara and Park Mi-gyeong are in defence. Park Seung-ae, Mun Seung-hwa, Jin Su-yeon, Jeong Saena and Son Gayeong run the midfield. Han Naryeong, Lee Ji-hae, Park Hyeon-jeong, Park Mi-hyang, Hong Youngeun, Park So-yeon, Son Hye-ryoung and Lee Young-eun complete the attack. Twenty players, and a captain who knows what it takes to win at this level.
Korea are ranked 15th in the world, fourth of the six teams in Bhopal behind China, India and Japan. That’s about right for where they are. Good enough to beat anyone on their day, not good enough to coast through a single game. They’ll have to earn every point.
Japan first, then the champions
Korea’s tournament starts with a cracker. Japan on Thursday 19 November at 3:15pm IST, 2:45pm PKT. Japan are two-time champions themselves, from 2013 and 2021, and these two have met in plenty of big games over the years. Win it and Korea are straight into the mix. Lose it and they’re chasing from day one.
Then it gets no easier. Hosts India on Saturday 21 November at 7:00pm IST, 6:30pm PKT, under lights in front of a home crowd. Malaysia on Sunday 22 November at 4:45pm IST, 4:15pm PKT. Thailand on Tuesday 24 November at 2:30pm IST, 2:00pm PKT. China close out the round robin on Wednesday 25 November at 4:45pm IST, 4:15pm PKT.
The semi-finals are on Friday 27 November, the bronze and final on Saturday 28 November. Korea’s target is simple: finish in the top four, then take their chances. They’ve done it three times before, and the know-how in this squad is real.
For our money, Korea are the forgotten team in Bhopal, and that suits them fine. India and China will take the headlines. Korea will just go about their business, and if the corners click and Lee Yu-ri has a big week, they can beat anyone in this field. A fourth title isn’t a fantasy. It’s a proper possibility.
