Men's handball coach praises players despite semifinal loss to Qatar at Asian Games

INAZAWA, Japan — After losing their berth in the men's handball final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, Korea's head coach praised his players for competing on equal terms with defending champion Qatar. "I told my players that I'm proud of them. We lost the match, but our players did well," said Cho Young-shin, who broke into tears after the semifinal. "I think our players' resolve and determination to win were much bigger than those of the opponent." Korea lost to Qatar 32-20 in the event's semifinal at Entrio in Inazawa, just northwest of Nagoya, Japan. The team fought a seesaw battle in the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half against Qatar, which is seeking its fourth consecutive Asian Games title. But Korea failed to make a comeback in the end. "From an objective perspective, the Qatari team, pursuing its fourth consecutive Asian Games gold, is about seven to three better than us, I think," he said. "But our players played on equal terms for 60 minutes, never giving up and showing all they have." Korea had sought its first gold medal in men's handball since