South Korean men‘s and women’s handball teams have both drawn powerful opponents in their opening stages at the upcoming London Olympics, but the teams‘ coaches and players said Wednesday they are all up for the challenge.

At the team launching ceremony in Seoul, only days before the Olympic tournament begins, South Korean coaches spoke of the hard work their players have put in, and their desire to see those efforts bear fruit in London.

“The men’s team has the greatest teamwork in the world. We also have the fastest team in the world and have trained harder than anyone else,” said Choi Seok-jae, the men‘s head coach.

His team starts the Olympics on July 29 against Croatia. “Above all, our players want an Olympic medal more badly than anyone.”

Kang Jae-won, head coach of the women’s team, said he put his charges through all sorts of training in the past four months, and their work is not finished.

“We must keep working and finish our preparations well over the next week or so,” Kang said.

The women play its first game on July 29 versus Spain. “Our goal is to do our best until the very end. If we can do that, I think we will accomplish something that we all have in our minds.”

The women‘s team will play in its eighth straight Olympic Games, and has won medals in six of the past seven Olympics, including back-to-back golds in 1988 and 1992.

The Korea Handball Federation officials said the women’s team is in the midst of a transition. Veterans who have been part of the sustained success in Olympics have given way to a younger generation, and officials said this year‘s team on average is about two years younger than the team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Kang sees youth as the team’s strength, saying, “Our young players will hold their ground until the end.”

Compared to their female counterparts, the men have had limited success at Olympic Games. This is the men‘s fourth straight Summer Games, but a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics has been their best showing so far. However, KHF officials said the same core of players has been together for almost four years and team unity and cohesion will be their strength.

Park Jung-geu, the men’s captain, said the players have extra motivation this year because South Korea was knocked out of the quarterfinals four years ago in Beijing, despite finishing at the top of its group. 

(Yonhap News)