Fencer Oh Sang-uk Named South Korea’s Asian Games MVP
Double gold medalist Oh Sang-uk was voted the most valuable athlete of South Korea’s delegation at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after leading a dramatic sabre team victory.
South Korean fencer Oh Sang-uk has been named the most valuable athlete of the country’s delegation at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, adding an individual honor to a competition in which he captured two gold medals.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said Sunday that Oh won a vote among South Korean media members covering the continental event in central Japan. The 30-year-old sabre specialist will receive 30 million won, or about $22,240, with the award.
Oh won the men’s individual sabre title for the second consecutive Asian Games and then helped South Korea secure a fourth straight gold medal in the men’s team event. His performance was made more notable by the lower-back and ankle injuries he managed during the competition.
The defining moment came in the team final against host nation Japan on Sept. 26. South Korea entered the last bout trailing 40-39, with Oh facing Mao Kokubo. Japan extended its advantage to 44-41, leaving the Korean team one touch from defeat in a contest won by the first side to reach 45 points.
Oh then scored four consecutive points to complete a 45-44 comeback. The reversal preserved South Korea’s long run of success in the event and gave Oh his second gold medal of the Games. South Korea collected four fencing gold medals overall, with Oh contributing to half of that total.
The delegation MVP award is a relatively new recognition. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee began selecting its top athlete at multisport events during the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. Media members assigned to cover the South Korean team determine the winner.
For Oh, the honor brings together the two parts of his Asian Games campaign. He retained his individual crown before serving as the decisive final fencer in the team title match, turning a three-point deficit at match point into victory.
Oh’s selection reflects both his medal haul and his role in one of the delegation’s most dramatic victories in Japan. His late rally in the team final turned an imminent loss into another championship and reinforced South Korea’s standing as the dominant nation in Asian Games men’s team sabre. The award also places a formal distinction on a campaign in which he delivered in both individual and team competition despite physical setbacks.