Faker Heads to Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as South Korea Targets Esports Gold Sweep
- Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok is heading to his third Asian Games as South Korea dispatches a record 44-member esports delegation to the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
- The Korea e-Sports Association held an official send-off ceremony at the Sangam Cube Convention Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 25th.
- At 29 years old, Lee Sang-hyeok returns to the national squad for his third consecutive appearance since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where esports featured as a demonstration event.
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is heading to his third Asian Games as South Korea dispatches a record 44-member esports delegation to the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The national team is targeting a gold medal sweep across multiple titles, with the international competition scheduled to run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, 2026.
Record Delegation Targets Medals Across Nine Esports Titles
The Korea e-Sports Association held an official send-off ceremony at the Sangam Cube Convention Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 25th. The organization is dispatching a total of 41 athletes and coaches, representing more than double the 19 representatives who competed at the previous Hangzhou Asian Games, where esports debuted as an official medal event. The total delegation reaches 44 individuals when including support staff, featuring 36 athletes, five coaches, and three officials. Team leadership has laid out a blueprint to secure medals in every entered event, aiming for five gold medals, two silvers, and two bronzes. The target gold disciplines include League of Legends, fighting games comprising Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and The King of Fighters XV, alongside PUBG Mobile, Gran Turismo 7, and Puyo Puyo Champions. Additional podium targets include silver in eFootball and Pokemon Unite, and bronze in Honor of Kings and Identity V.
Faker Embraces National Responsibility for League of Legends
At 29 years old, Lee Sang-hyeok returns to the national squad for his third consecutive appearance since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, where esports featured as a demonstration event. Lee acknowledged the weight of the upcoming matches.
This is a competition the general public watches together, so I see it as a chance to give the nation a sense of pride. I feel a much greater sense of responsibility and pressure than before.
League of Legends team head coach Kang Dong-hoon noted that the squad’s objective remains unchanged regardless of the tournament field, stating that the team intends to claim the title with dominant play. The team’s gold medal prospects were reinforced following reports that China withdrew from the competition.
Veteran Competitors and Historical Representation
The roster features notable veterans alongside younger competitors, including Bae Jae-min, known as Knee, who will compete in Tekken 8 in his 40s. Addressing questions regarding physical reaction speeds, Bae told reporters at the send-off ceremony that his accumulated experience and mind games compensate for any physical slowdown. Park So-yeon joins the delegation as the team’s only female athlete, competing in the survival horror title Identity V, which is developed and published by NetEase Games. The 23-year-old stated that she realized her status as the squad’s sole female competitor only after selection, noting her intent to pave the way for other players. Athletes began preliminary training in May, with select participants entering the Jincheon National Training Center in July. Official group training runs through the 25th of next month, followed by two dedicated training camps in Japan to maintain peak conditioning ahead of the opening ceremony.