Oh Sang-uk captured the men’s sabre individual and team titles at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, anchoring his performance despite a chronic herniated lumbar disc to earn the Korean delegation’s Most Valuable Player honor.
Oh Sang-Uk Wins MVP Prize Money
Oh Sang-uk was named the Most Valuable Player of the South Korean delegation following a vote by the local press corps announced on Dec. 4, securing 30 million won in prize money from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee. National Sports Training Center Director Kim Taek-su introduced Oh during a press conference at the Korea House in Nagoya, Japan, stating that Oh won both individual and team events and notably sparked a dramatic comeback victory in the team final.
Oh Leads Sabre Team to Gold
Oh dealt with a persistent back injury stemming from a herniated lumbar disc to guide the Korean fencing squad through the tournament. On Nov. 23, he defeated China’s Shen Chenpeng 15-13 in the men’s sabre individual final to defend his continental title. Three days later on Nov. 26, Oh teamed with Park Sang-won, Do Kyung-dong, and Hwang Hee-geun for the men’s sabre team event, where they edged Japan 45-44 in the final. Entering the final 9th round trailing 41-44, Oh scored four consecutive points to complete the late-match turnaround.
Oh Nears Korean Record for Gold Medals
The double-gold performance marks Oh’s second multi-title Asian Games campaign. Propelled by his results, the South Korean men’s sabre team extended a streak of five consecutive individual titles and four straight team titles at the Games. The latest gold medals bring Oh’s career Asian Games total to five, leaving him one title shy of sabre senior Gu Bon-gil, who holds the Korean record with six gold medals.
Special Award Winners Across Sports Disciplines
Alongside the MVP announcement, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee revealed separate panel selections for sportsmanship, improvement, and leadership awards, each carrying a 10 million won prize. Teqball gold medalist Lee Joon-seok received the Fighting Spirit Award, while canoe double-gold winners Cho Kwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin shared the Progress Award. Men’s 3×3 basketball coach Bae Gil-tae earned the Leadership Award.
Additional special recognition went to badminton general manager Park Joo-bong, men’s marathon runner Park Min-ho, men’s street skateboarding winner Kang Jun-i, sailing gold medalist Ha Ji-min, and compound archery men’s individual gold medalist Kim Jong-ho.
Oh’s career Asian Games gold medal total stands at five, trailing sabre senior Gu Bon-gil’s Korean record of six titles by a single victory.
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