The miracle of the '2 million won table' given by his mother... Lee Jun-seok, who couldn't even visit the Jincheon athlete village, conquered Asia with tech volleyball [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korean tech volleyball national team member Lee Jun-seok (27) has stood tall as the first-ever tech volleyball gold medalist in Asian Games history.

In the men's singles final of the newly added tech volleyball event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held on the 20th at Higashi Sports Center in Nagoya, Japan, Lee Jun-seok defeated Iraq's Ali Jalil Mezher Alayawi with a set score of 2-0 (12-11, 12-5), becoming the inaugural champion.

Starting with five consecutive wins in Group B, advancing through a 2-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan in the quarterfinals and a walkover against Kuwait in the semifinals to reach the final, he achieved an undefeated championship against a strong Middle Eastern opponent in tech volleyball's dominant region.

The flow of the final match was also dramatic. Trailing 0-3 early in the first set, Lee staged a thrilling comeback with powerful kicks to win 12-11, then carried momentum to easily take the second set 12-5.

Behind this golden smash lay a bone-wearying decision to abandon his livelihood. Having played as a footballer from elementary school until age 21 and competing in the K4 League, he also participated in volleyball matches. In February, just before transitioning to a regular full-time position at a large corporation, he immediately resigned upon hearing news that tech volleyball had been officially adopted as an event.

Despite the harsh environment with no domestic corporate teams and even being unable to enter the Jincheon athlete village, he worked tirelessly by personally securing a table worth 2 million won thanks to his mother's help. In April, he traveled to Hungary, the sport's birthplace, and used social media to locate local experts, devoting himself to receiving intensive private coaching from them.

Until just before the tournament, Lee Jun-seok struggled with an uncertain future and concerns about making a living. This championship victory has perfectly proven that his choice was not wrong. His gold medal is expected to breathe new life into Korean tech volleyball, which had been barren ground, and serve as a solid milestone for junior athletes.

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*This content was translated by AI.