Oh Sang-uk of South Korea celebrates after winning the men's sabre team final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Saturday. [Yonhap]
Oh Sang-uk of South Korea celebrates after winning the men's sabre team final against Japan at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Saturday. [Yonhap]

Oh Sang-uk, 30, who won two gold medals in men's fencing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, has been named the most valuable player of the South Korean delegation.

Kim Taek-su, director of the national team training center, announced the honor Sunday at a press conference held at Korea House in Nagoya, Japan. "Oh Sang-uk was selected as Team Korea's MVP based on a vote by the local press corps," Kim said. Oh will receive a prize of 30 million won ($22,100) from the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

"Oh won both the individual and team events, and particularly led a dramatic comeback victory in the team final," Kim said.

Oh powered through the competition despite chronic back pain from a herniated disc, gutting out his performances to lead the South Korean delegation.

On Sept. 23, he defeated Shen Chenpeng of China 15-13 in the men's sabre individual final to claim gold and successfully defend his title from the previous Asian Games.

Then on Saturday, he joined Park Sang-won, Do Gyeong-dong and Hwang Hee-geun in the men's sabre team event, where South Korea edged Japan 45-44 in a thrilling comeback final.

Oh delivered the decisive moment in the ninth and final round of the team final, scoring four consecutive points to erase a 41-44 deficit and complete a stunning reversal.

Oh claimed a double gold for the second consecutive Asian Games. Powered by his performances, South Korea's men's sabre team extended its winning streaks to five consecutive Asian Games titles in the individual event and four in the team event.

The five gold medals Oh has now accumulated at the Asian Games put him one behind the all-time record of six held by his sabre sunbae Gu Bon-gil.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee also announced winners of several special awards — each carrying a 10 million won prize — selected through a separate review process: the Fighting Spirit Award, the Skills Development Award and the Leadership Award.

Lee Jun-seok, a gold medalist in teqball, received the Fighting Spirit Award; canoe double-gold winners Jo Gwang-hee and Kim Hyo-bin shared the Skills Development Award; and Bae Gil-tae, head coach of the men's 3-on-3 basketball team, took the Leadership Award.

Special awards also went to badminton head coach Park Ju-bong, men's marathon runner Park Min-ho, men's street skateboarding gold medalist Kang Jun-i, sailing gold medalist Ha Ji-min and EMC men's individual archery gold medalist Kim Jong-ho.


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