The Korean Esports Association, KeSPA, revealed Team Korea’s roster for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. The roster includes two members of the 2023 MSI Champion, JD Gaming and Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.
Esports were first included in the 2018 Asian Games as demonstration sports. In 2023, esports are officially included in the Asian Games as an official event. This marks the first time that esports is part of an event hosted by a member of the Olympic Committee.
The event, known as the 2022 Asian Games due to a delay in schedule, will run from September 23 through October 8 in Hangzhou, China.
KeSPA revealed the roster ahead of the event, which includes some of the best players from the 2023 MSI. The roster includes:
South Kore will be running a double mid laner roster with Faker and Chovy sharing the seat. Out of the six players, only Ruler and Faker are returning to the event. Both Ruler and Faker were part of the 2018 Asian Games roster.
The team will be led by former SK Telecom T1 and Damwon Gaming coach Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun.
It will be a tight schedule for the players if they qualify for the 2023 World Championship. The event is taking place in South Korea and is scheduled to start on October 10 with the Play-In stage.
As of right now, Faker is not exempt from mandatory military service, but he might be. In South Korea, males are required to complete a military service that can run between 18 and 21 months.
Exemptions can be made for athletes who win gold medals representing South Korea at major competitions. If Faker wins the 2022 Asian Games, he will be exempt from mandatory military service.
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