They moved with pace, their shoes squeaking like mice. From one side of the court to the other, the 10 women moved with intent; the hosts to prove their mettle, the visitors to prove their unity. Such was the intensity that, at one point, one of the players overran, lost her balance and hit one of the posts. She recovered in an instant and rejoined the game.
We saw them from the gallery, and at the same time, kept an eye on the group of vocal fans waving a Korea flag and literally drumming up support. They were about a hundred, all in identical white T-shirts with the unified Korea flag on them, trying to drown out the cymbal-wielding Indonesians.
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This was the 5x5 women’s basketball match—the first time the Koreas were uniting on such a stage. Though they will compete together in canoeing and rowing as well, this was their first outing as a unit. Truly, a momentous occasion. The reporter sitting next to me, however, did not seem enthused. “It’s all for show,” he said, taking off his anti-pollution mask. He was a South Korean working for a Japanese news channel. “But, I hope it works out well,” he added sincerely.
A few months ago, at their historic summit, North Korea supreme leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea president Moon Jae-in had agreed to put up a unified front at the Games, much like they had done at the previous Winter Olympics.
The match itself was entertaining, with the Korean women dominating in attack and defence, and with the hosts refusing to die. North Korean Ro Suk Yong, one of the three Pyongyang-based athletes in the team, top-scored with 22 points. The visitors were especially good with the counterattacks, catching the Indonesian defence off guard. “It is painful to watch,” said my Indonesian journalist friend, taking off his safari hat and letting out a sigh. The match ended with the scoreline 108-40 in favour of Korea.
This match, however, was about much more. It was about two nations momentarily setting aside their differences to compete under one flag.
“This joint team would open up the opportunity for more combined teams from both countries in the future,” Park Hyejin, who played for Korea, told THE WEEK. She added that she would rather not talk about the relations between the neighbours as she did not want to be political.
A sentiment that is, perhaps, best for sports.