The national team on Oct. 4 enters the closing ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. (Yonhap News)

By Kang Gahui

The national team at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan on Oct. 4 came in third in the overall medal count after 16 days of competition.

At the closing ceremony, Korea marked its third-place finish for the third consecutive Asiad with 39 gold, 43 silver and 68 bronze.

The country's 150 medals overall trailed only leader China -- 169 gold, 89 silver and 83 bronze -- and runner-up Japan -- 83 gold, 95 silver and 91 bronze.

Korea did especially well in team sports. It won both the men's and women's basketball titles as well as the gold in baseball, men's soccer and women's handball, while maintaining its long-standing competitiveness in sports like fencing.

Korea won its first Asiad gold in skateboarding and the inaugural title in teqball, a sport combining soccer and table tennis that debuted as an official event at the tournament.

In League of Legends (esports) and women's singles badminton, Korea successfully defended its titles for the second straight Asiad.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games are next from Oct. 18-24 across Aichi, Gifu and Shizuoka prefectures.

Korea's delegation of 357 members will include 214 athletes to compete in all 18 events including track and field, boccia, blind soccer, judo and powerlifting.

kgh89@korea.kr