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| ▲ In this file photo from June 20, 2023, Lee Kang-in of South Korea (R) dribbles the ball against El Salvador during a men's football friendly match at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap) |
Asian Games-football team
PSG's Lee Kang-in named to S. Korean men's football team for Asian Games
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- Paris Saint-Germain's new midfielder Lee Kang-in was named to the South Korean men's football team for the upcoming Asian Games on Friday.
Head coach Hwang Sun-hong unveiled his 22-man roster for the Sept. 23-Oct. 8 competition in Hangzhou, China.
Men's football in Asian Games is typically limited to players 23 years or younger. However, since this edition of the event has been postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the age limit was pushed up to 24, meaning players born on or after Jan. 1, 1999, remain eligible.
Teams are also allowed to name up to three overage players as "wild cards."
Hwang didn't have to use one of the wild card slots on Lee, a precocious talent still just 22. The flashy midfielder recently joined PSG on a five-year deal, after spending his entire club career in Spain. He has collected 14 caps for the senior national team and played at last year's FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he logged two assists.
Lee is one of four Europe-based players for South Korea, alongside Jeong Woo-yeong of VfB Sttugart in Germany, Park Kyu-hyun of Dynamo Dresden in Germany, and Hong Hyun-seok of KAA Gent in Belgium.
The Asiad men's tournament isn't part of the FIFA international calendar, and thus clubs aren't obligated to release their players for this event.
The major carrot for South Korean players at Asian Games is the exemption from the mandatory military service, granted to all gold medal winners at the continental event. Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min gained his exemption with gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
South Korea will try to become the first country to win three straight gold medals in Asiad men's football tournament. The draw for this year's competition is July 27.
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