[Official Announcement] AG Basketball National Team Group Stage Schedule Confirmed! Both Men's and Women's Teams Avoid 'Rival' China → Men Drawn with Japan

*This content was translated by AI.

The group stage matchups and match schedule for the South Korean men's and women's basketball national teams, who will compete for medals at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, have been officially finalized. Following the earlier release of the 3x3 basketball schedule, the detailed schedule for 5x5 basketball has now also been unveiled. Both Nam Nyeo (CEO) teams received favorable news by avoiding Asia's basketball powerhouse China in the group stage, while the Nam Ja (CEO) team was drawn into a group with their 'rival' Japan, setting up an intense Korea-Japan battle for first place in the group.

The Korea Basketball Association officially announced the detailed schedule for the Nam Nyeo (CEO) teams' preliminary group stage matches at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games basketball (5x5) event on the morning of the 8th.

The men's national team, led by coach Nikolajs Mazuls, was drawn into a group with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Japan. The team will begin their journey toward the gold medal with their first group stage match against Saudi Arabia at 4 p.m. on September 10. They will then face Indonesia in their second match at 4 p.m. on September 11, followed by a major group stage showdown against rival Japan at 7 p.m. on September 13 to determine who secures direct passage to the quarterfinals with first place.

In this tournament, teams finishing in the top two of each group advance directly to the quarterfinals. With three groups in total, the top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals, except for one team among those finishing third overall that has the lowest record.

For the Nam Ja (CEO) team, avoiding China and Iran—both considered difficult opponents—in the group stage means they have been placed in a relatively manageable group. However, since the advantage in the tournament bracket will be determined by the outcome of their final match against Japan, which holds the host nation's premium status, an all-out effort against Japan is expected.

The women's national team, led by coach Park Soo-ho, also smiled upon receiving the draw. The Yeo Ja (CEO) team will face Malaysia, Mongolia, and Taiwan. They will begin with a match against Malaysia at 10 a.m. on September 18, followed by matches against Mongolia at 1 p.m. on September 21 and Taiwan at 4 p.m. on September 22. The women's basketball team will also follow the same group stage format as the men's to determine which teams advance to the quarterfinals.

The Yeo Ja (CEO) team has also avoided both China and Japan, considered Asia's top powers, in the group stage, increasing their chances of advancing as group winners. If they can successfully complete their final match against the challenging opponent Taiwan without issues, they could achieve the best possible scenario by entering the tournament as group winners and managing their physical condition effectively.

Both Nam Nyeo (CEO) teams have breathed a sigh of relief after avoiding China, a formidable obstacle, in the group stage. Fans are now eagerly anticipating whether the South Korean basketball national teams can pass through the group stage with light steps and reclaim their position as Asia's champions.

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*This content was translated by AI.