Korea’s E-Sports National Team Member Kwak Jun-hyuk Reflects on Bronze Medal Win at Hangzhou Asian Games

Kwak Jun-hyuk Wins Korea’s First Esports Medal at Hangzhou Asian Games

Kwak Jun-hyuk, a member of Korea’s national e-sports team, has secured the country’s first medal in the FC Online category at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. In a hard-fought battle, Kwak Jun-hyuk clinched the bronze medal after a defeat against Thai player Patanasak Baranan in the losers’ bracket final on the 27th of September.

The final match of the losers’ bracket held at the Hangzhou Esports Center proved to be a challenging one for Kwak Jun-hyuk. Falling behind with an early goal in each set, he struggled to regain control of the game. Despite scoring goals mainly through quick and short passes, Kwak Jun-hyuk was unable to overcome Patanasak’s strong defense, ultimately losing with a final score of 2-1.

However, Kwak Jun-hyuk showcased his resilience in the second set, taking the lead by scoring the first goal. Although facing tough opposition from Patanasak’s goalkeeper and enduring a fierce battle throughout the extra period, Kwak Jun-hyuk managed to level the scores and emerged as the winner after a penalty shootout.

In the third and final set, Kwak Jun-hyuk once again found himself at a disadvantage, allowing Patanasak to score with an early mid-range shot. Despite several opportunities, including free kicks, Kwak Jun-hyuk was unable to find the back of the net. Patanasak’s strong defense maintained the lead, and eventually, the game concluded without a successful comeback from Kwak Jun-hyuk.

Although Kwak Jun-hyuk’s achievement of winning bronze is commendable, as he had advanced to the final bracket, it may be somewhat disappointing for him. Having recorded consecutive wins in the heats and reaching the winner’s match final, Kwak Jun-hyuk faced defeat against Thailand’s T-Tech Song Saisakul, ultimately settling for the bronze medal after losing to Patanasak in the losers’ final. Thailand has proven to be a formidable opponent, preventing Kwak Jun-hyuk from climbing higher on two separate occasions.

Expressing his disappointment, Kwak Jun-hyuk shared, “Ever since I heard that FC Online would be included as an official event in the Asian Games, my goal has been to win a gold medal. It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t achieve it.” He further expressed gratitude to the fans and thanked them for their support.

With the bronze medal now secured, Korea’s hopes for a gold medal in esports at the Asian Games rest on other events such as League of Legends (LoL) and Street Fighter V.

Kwak Jun-hyuk, the e-sports national team member who participated in the Hangzhou Asian Games, is interviewed by reporters in the mixed zone immediately after the game. /News 1

In e-sports, adopted as an official sport for the first time at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, Korea’s first medal went to Kwak Jun-hyuk (23, KT Rolster) in the FC Online category. Kwak Jun-hyuk won the bronze medal after losing to a Thai player in the losers’ bracket final on the 27th.

Kwak Jun-hyuk was defeated 1-2 in the final match of the losers’ bracket against Patanasak Baranan (20, Thailand) held at the Hangzhou Esports Center in China at 8 pm (Korea time) on the 27th, and won only a bronze medal. On this day, Kwak Jun-hyuk conceded the first goal at the start of each set and made the match difficult. In the first set, Patanasak missed Kwak Jun-hyuk’s mistake early in the first half and scored the first goal by shooting a ground ball. Then, a mid-range shot from in front of the penalty area into the corner of the goal was successful, extending the score by two points. Kwak Jun-hyuk, who lost the lead, followed, scoring goals mainly through quick and short passes, but Patanasak strengthened his defense and ended the game 2-1.

In the second set, Kwak Jun-hyuk scored the first goal and took the match. This time, on the contrary, Ronaldo scored using a short pass, giving Patanasak the lead. In the first half of the game, Kwak Jun-hyuk went on the offensive using Gullit, but was unlucky as he was blocked by the goalkeeper. However, Kwak Jun-hyuk managed to level the scores by scoring a goal through Pele in the second half. There was a fierce battle throughout the extra period, but the winner was not decided, and after a game that ended in a penalty kick, Kwak Jun-hyuk took the game.

Kwak Jun-hyuk is disappointed after losing to Thailand’s Pattanasak Varanan in the ‘FC Online’ losers bracket final held at the main e-sports stadium in Beijingyuan Ecological Park in Hangzhou, China on the 27th. Kwak Jun-hyuk lost 1-2 to Patanasak in the losers bracket final and won the bronze medal. This is Korea’s first esports medal. /News 1

In the third final set, Kwak Jun-hyuk also started at a disadvantage, conceding the first point on a mid-range shot early in the match. After that, Kwak Jun-hyuk had several clear chances, including free kicks, but no shots resulted in a goal. Patanasak strengthened his defense and led the game constantly, but in the end, Kwak Jun-hyuk was unable to attack him and the game ended.

Since it was Kwak Jun-hyuk who advanced to the final of the bracket, the bronze medal in this tournament feels a bit disappointing. Kwak Jun-hyuk recorded consecutive wins during the tournament, namely the heats, and advanced to the finals of the winner’s match, but lost to Thailand’s T-Tech Song Saisakul (25) and fell to the losers’ final. And they lost to Patanasak and had to settle for the bronze medal. It has been blocked twice only by the walls of Thailand.

Kwak Jun-hyuk, who met with reporters in the mixed zone after the match that day, said, “Ever since I heard the news that FC Online was included as an official event in the Asian Games, I made the decision to win a gold medal, but I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to achieve it.” He added, “Thank you for coming all the way to Hangzhou, a far away place, to support us.” “Thank you to the fans,” he said. As it was decided that Korea’s first medal from the NC online event was a bronze medal, the opportunity to win Korea’s first gold medal in esports at the Asian Games was passed on to other events such as League of Legends (LoL) and Street Fighter V.

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