Korea Grouped with Bahrain, Kuwait, Thailand for Football Tournament at Asian Games

In a draw in Hangzhou on Thursday, Korea was grouped with Bahrain, Kuwait and Thailand in the opening stage of the men’s football tournament at the Asian Games set to kick off in the Chinese city in September.

A total of 23 teams are divided into six groups, with the top two teams from each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the round of 16.

With the exception of three overage players, only players under 23 can participate in the tournament, but this time the age limit has been raised to 24 after the event’s one-year postponement last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Korea is aiming for its third consecutive gold medal finish, following victories in Incheon in 2014 and in Indonesia in 2018.

The Asian Games will be held from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.