Envying Japan’s diehard affection for handball

Handball game between Korea and Japan, which took place in Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, entailed a "twist." At the game in which a berth for the Olympic Games was at stake, Korea dominated the game from the beginning. As a result, officials from the Japanese handball community and Japanese media became envious of Korea’s flagship players including Kim Ohn-ah and Ryu Eun-hee. Japanese reporters were speechless and got deeply impressed with stellar performance by the duo, who garnered a combined 22 of the 35 points that Korea acquired on the day. One Japanese reporter shook the head, while repeatedly mimicking Ryu Eun-hee’s shooting gesture.

“Japanese officials jokingly said they want to bring Kim On-ah and Ryu Eun-hee to Japan," Kim Jin-soo, the chief of the Korean delegation, quietly told the reporter. After the end of the game, a 60-something man who is believed to be an official from the Japanese handball association, was hanging around with innocent face at the press conference site, holding paper and a pen in his hands, to receive signatures from the two Korean athletes.

When reflecting the situation before and after the game after becoming oblivious of Korea’s pride in Kim On-ah and Ryu Eun-hee, this reporter got even envious of strong fever over handball in Japan, as evidenced by more than 4,000 fans filling the spectators’ stand to its capacity at the gymnasium. Korean national coach Lim Yeong-cheol also told a press conference after the event, “I feel grateful to Japan for giving the players a chance to play the game in a good mood.”

Japan was no match to Korea in performance, but Japan’s public interest in and cheering for Japanese handball was beyond imagination. It was also shocking to find Japanese reporters were highly well versed with styles and profiles of Korean players.“If a family has a handball player as member, not only other members of the family but also people around the family all become handball fans," said Oh Seong-ok, a Barcelona Olympic gold medalist who has been serving as player and coach at Japanese teams affiliated with companies for 13 years. "Even when getting married, career history of a handball player in the bridegroom’s family is proudly promoted.”

Will Kim On-ah and Ryu Eun-hee ever have a chance to become sports stars who enjoy popularity on par with rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae in Korea? If a Korea-Japan handball match takes place in Japan again, not a few Japanese fans will likely root for Kim and Ryu. Envious of the mood in Japan, this reporter just imagines a SK Handball Gymnasium with 5,003 seats in Seoul’s Songpa district filled to its capacity.

- Reporting from Nagoya, Japan

elegant@donga.com