All eleven members of the South Korea women’s national basketball team that claimed the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games are set to compete in the upcoming Park Shin-ja Cup in Cheongju, returning to the court less than a week after ending a 12-year drought at the regional tournament. Local reports confirmed that the full gold-winning roster will headline the expanded international competition.
Cheongju Host to Expanded International Field
The 2024 Park Shin-ja Cup opens tomorrow in Cheongju and runs through November 11, featuring ten teams from five countries, including domestic clubs alongside representatives from Japan, Australia, and Canada. This year’s tournament marks the largest iteration of the competition in its history, bringing together multiple international programs just days after the conclusion of the Asian Games in Japan.
The tournament immediately sets up high-profile rematches from the international stage. Fujitsu of Japan, which faced South Korea in the Asian Games final, enters the Cheongju tournament as a two-time defending champion of the event. The club’s roster features key players from that gold-medal match, including Haruka Owaki, who scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds during Japan’s intense final-game pursuit, and Riho Akagi, who contributed nine points, including a three-pointer.
Rematches and Rivalries on Opening Day
Tournament organizers scheduled an immediate clash between the back-to-back defending champion Fujitsu and Cheongju KB, the reigning champions of the Women’s Korean Basketball League, for tomorrow’s opening fixture. Facing the domestic powerhouse on home soil presents an immediate test for both sides following the compressed international calendar.
“This kind of experience isn’t something that happens every day, so I want to do my absolute best in every single match to help the team in any way I can,” Haruka Owaki said ahead of the opening matchup.
For Cheongju fans, guard Heo Ye-eun carries high expectations into the tournament. Heo led the Asian Games in assists with an average of 7.2 per game, orchestrating South Korea’s run to the top of the podium.
“Even though they are an exceptionally strong team from Japan, the ball is round and you can never predict how the outcome will turn out,” Heo Ye-eun said. “So my teammates and I have prepared well, and we will make sure to win tomorrow’s game.”
Ten Teams Compete in Cheongju Through November 11
Action begins tomorrow at the venue in Cheongju, with matches continuing daily through November 11. The ten-participating-team format divides squads across group-stage fixtures before the knockout rounds determine the 2024 champion.
The tournament provides the first opportunity for domestic fans to watch the full national team roster in club competition since their return from Aichi-Nagoya.
Worth a look
