Asian Games history was made on Thursday during the draw for seven team sports at the JS Luwansa Hotel and Convention Centre in Jakarta.
The Olympic code of “COR” – standing for unified Korea – appeared for the first time in Olympic Council of Asia protocol after the OCA approved a proposal from North Korea and South Korea on June 28 to form a joint team in women’s basketball, as well as dragon boat and rowing.
The unified team in three sports and six events will be playing as “Korea” under the unification flag and using the Korean folk song “Arirang” as the anthem.
In women’s basketball, the defending Asian Games champions South Korea will have North Korean players alongside them at the 18th Asian Games, which will run from August 18 to September 2 in Jakarta and Palembang.
The unified COR team was drawn with Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and India in Group X, while China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Mongolia will play in Group Y.
“I think it is very good to have a unified team because it will promote friendship between the two sides of the Korean peninsula,” said the OCA’s Life Vice President, Mr Wei Jizhong, after the draw.
“The International Olympic Committee has already encouraged both Koreas to change, so the OCA will follow the IOC.”
Mr Wei also announced that the 18th Asian Games had attracted the largest number of athletes in history, with between 10,500 and 11,000 expected to take part in the 40 sports and 67 disciplines. The previous highest was 9,704 at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, in 2010.
“Good news for Indonesia,” said Mr Wei, “because we have a record number of participants. This may cause some difficulties but I am convinced that the organising committee INASGOC has the capability to find a good solution with the OCA and all parties.”
The draw for seven team sports involved 36 countries and regions and took place as the countdown clock displayed 44 days to the opening ceremony on August 18.
The draw, in order of sports, was:
SEPAK TAKRAW
Women’s Team Regu
Group A: Thailand, India, Laos, South Korea.
Group B: Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar.
Men’s Team Regu
Group A: Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia.
Group B: Indonesia, India, Iran.
Men’s Team Double
Group A: Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines.
Group B: Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar.
Women’s Quadran
Group A: Indonesia, Laos, South Korea, Myanmar.
Group B: Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, India, Malaysia.
Men’s Quadran
Group A: Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Laos, Japan.
Group B: Singapore, Nepal, Iran, Vietnam, Pakistan.
Men’s Regu
Group A: Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Pakistan.
Group B: South Korea, China, India, Nepal.
HANDBALL
Men
Group A: Qatar, Iran, Malaysia.
Group B: South Korea, Japan, Pakistan.
Group C: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong.
Group D: Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, India, Iraq.
Women
Group A: South Korea, Kazakhstan, China, India, DPR Korea
Group B: Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia.
VOLLEYBALL
Men
Group A: Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kyrgyzstan.
Group B: Iran, Pakistan, Mongolia.
Group C: Japan, Kazakhstan, Myanmar.
Group D: South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Nepal.
Group E: China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam.
Group F: India, Qatar, Maldives, Hong Kong.
Women
Group A: Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines.
Group B: South Korea, China, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, India.
RUGBY SEVENS
Men
Group A: Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Pakistan.
Group B: Japan, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia.
Group C: South Korea, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates.
Women
Group A: China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea.
Group B: Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Indonesia.
WATER POLO
Men
Group A: Kazakhstan, Singapore, South Korea, Iran.
Group B: Saudi Arabia, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia.
Women (Round-robin)
1 Japan, 2 China, 3 Thailand, 4 Hong Kong, 5 Kazakhstan, 6 Indonesia.
BASKETBALL
Women
Group X: Korea (COR), Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, India.
Group Y: China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mongolia.
Men
Group A: South Korea, Mongolia, Indonesia, Thailand.
Group B: Iran, Philippines, Syria, United Arab Emirates.
Group C: Japan, Qatar, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong.
Group D: Kazakhstan, China, Palestine.
FOOTBALL
Women (to be played in Palembang)
Group A: Indonesia, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Maldives.
Group B: DPR Korea, China, Hong Kong, Tajikistan.
Group C: Japan, Vietnam, Thailand.
Note: The bottom team in each group will be eliminated. The remaining eight teams advance to the quarter-finals.
Men
Group A: Indonesia, Hong Kong, Laos, Chinese Taipei.
Group B: Thailand, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Qatar.
Group C: Iraq, China, Timor-Leste, Syria.
Group D: Japan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal.
Group E: South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Bahrain.
Group F: DPR Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Myanmar.
Note: The top two teams in each group, plus the four best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16. The matches will be played in four stadiums.
