“APBC prepares for 2026 WBC-2028 Olympics” by Ryu Jung-il

Ryu Jung-il, head coach of South Korea, encourages his players during the baseball super round 2 match between South Korea and China at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games at the Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center 1 on June 6 in Hangzhou, China. South Korea defeated China 8-1 on Sunday and will play a return match against Chinese Taipei for the gold medal on Sunday.

Ryu Jung-il, who won gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and will lead the national baseball team at the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), said he will focus on the development of young players in time for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced on Nov. 18 that it has appointed Ryu Jung-il to lead the national baseball team at the 2023 APBC, which will be held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan from Nov. 16 to 19.

Ryu will continue to lead the national baseball team following the Hangzhou Asian Games, which concluded on Aug. 8.

Ryu led the team to its fourth consecutive title at the Hangzhou Asian Games with a roster that included players under the age of 25 and in their fourth year of eligibility. After a 0-2 loss to Chinese Taipei in the first round, the team went on to win all four of their matches, including the final. In the final, they defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 for a clean sweep.

The KBO said, “Coach Ryu Joong-il led the Korean National Team to victory at the Asian Games, marking the first successful step in the team’s generation change. The APBC is also a tournament for players under the age of 24 or within their third year of playing, so we decided it was appropriate to appoint Ryu Jung-il in terms of continuity with the Asian Games.”

The KBO previously appointed Sun Dong-yeol and Kim Kyung-moon as full-time managers of the national baseball team, but since the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the organization has selected a new head coach for each international tournament. Earlier this year, KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul led the national team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

The APBC is in its second year since 2017 and features South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. The four teams play a pool league, with the top two teams competing in the finals for the title. South Korea finished as runner-up in the inaugural tournament.

Speaking to ‘News1’ after the news of his appointment, Ryu Jung-il laughed and said, “I’ve crossed a big mountain,” before adding, “Unlike the Asian Games, the APBC is not without pressure because (the opposing teams) have professional players.”

He emphasized that the process is more important than the result. The idea is to use the APBC as a stepping stone to major international events such as the 2024 Premier12, the 2026 WBC, and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where baseball will be an official sport.

“I think the APBC team should be similar to the Asian Games (due to age restrictions). The roster will be organized in time for the 2026 WBC and 2028 LA Olympics,” Liu said.

“The focus will be less on winning tournaments and more on developing young athletes with international experience.”

The final APBC roster will be announced at a press conference by the coaches of the four participating nations on Thursday, and is expected to be dominated by Asian Games members.

The catch is that the APBC will take place immediately following the conclusion of the Korean Series. This year, the postseason was delayed due to frequent rainouts in professional baseball, with the regular season ending on the 17th.

If the best-of-seven series doesn’t decide a winner by Game 6, Game 7 will be held on November 15, the day before the first game of the APBC. In that case, it would be difficult to bring players from the Korean Series to the APBC.

Ryu said, “For now, we will include all the players (including LG, who finished first in the regular season) in the final roster. We will change the roster depending on the progress of the postseason,” said Ryu. “We will have five to seven reserves in addition to the final roster in case of injuries.”

Liu’s squad will convene and train in Daegu on Nov. 5. They will then travel to Tokyo on November 14 for the final match. 슬롯