Real Mat National Team Member Loses 1-2 on the Virtual Mat: An Hyang-sik Eliminated in Virtual Taekwondo Round of 16
In virtual taekwondo, which made its Asian Games debut, An Hyang-sik lost 1-2 in round score to Vietnam's Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang and was eliminated in the round of 16. He won the second round but gave up the final round.
Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.
Three-Line Summary
- On October 2, An Hyang-sik lost 1-2 in round score to a Vietnamese player in the round of 16 of the virtual taekwondo mixed individual event.
- Virtual taekwondo is a competition in which headsets and sensors transfer players' movements onto virtual characters, and it became an official medal event for the first time at this Games.
- An also serves as a national team member in the men's 58kg sparring division, and he was scheduled to compete in sparring that afternoon.
The morning of October 2, 2026, at the Toyohashi gymnasium in Japan. Virtual taekwondo is a competition in which players never make physical contact with each other. When a player wearing a headset extended a leg into the air, the character on screen took the hit instead. According to on-site reports, the start was delayed because of equipment problems, and the match was also interrupted once during the first round.
The player representing Korea is An Hyang-sik of Yong In University. Although he is also a national team member in the men's 58kg division in real sparring, he went down to a player with a poomsae background. He gave up the first round, in which the match was interrupted by equipment problems. However, reports did not confirm whether that interruption affected the outcome.
An Hyang-sik's Round of 16 Result: 1-2 in Rounds, Winning Round 2 and Losing Round 3
Newsis reported that An's first opponent was Vietnam's Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang. After losing the first round, he won the second round to level the match. But he lost the final round again, falling by a round score of 1-2, and failed to reach the final 8. Etoday also reported the same score.
Remaining Health by Round (Based on Newsis Report)
| Round | An Hyang-sik's Remaining Health | Opponent's Remaining Health | Round Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 0 | 240 | Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang |
| R2 | 180 | 0 | An Hyang-sik |
| R3 | 0 | 400 | Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang |
The numbers in the table are not sparring points but the health remaining when each round ended. In round 2, An left the opponent at 0 while keeping health of 180. In round 3, it was the reverse, with the opponent keeping 400. That is 160 more than the 240 of round 1, the biggest gap of the three rounds.
How Virtual Taekwondo Works: Headsets and Sensors, Best-of-3, First to 2 Wins
Etoday reports that in virtual taekwondo, headsets and motion-tracking sensors transfer players' movements onto virtual characters. Players do not collide directly. This Games' event is a mixed individual event, and the winner is decided in a best-of-3, first to 2 wins format. That is why a men's 58kg player could face a women's poomsae player.
The kicks on screen come from the players' actual movements. The opponent, Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang, is a player who has competed in poomsae, and she reportedly trained intensively in virtual taekwondo in Korea for about one month before the Games. The reaction "Is this taekwondo? Or a game?" has no confirmed speaker or original source.
First Introduced at the Asian Games, Competing in Real Matches Four Months After OCA Approval
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced on June 2 that it would introduce virtual taekwondo at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Etoday reported that this Games is the first stage where it is an official medal event. From the approval announcement to An Hyang-sik's round of 16 match was four months.
Virtual Taekwondo and An Hyang-sik Timeline
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| June 2, 2026 | OCA announces approval of virtual taekwondo |
| June 2026 | An Hyang-sik selected simultaneously for the national teams in virtual and sparring 58kg |
| October 2, 2026, morning | Loses 1-2 in virtual mixed individual round of 16 |
| October 2, 2026, afternoon | Scheduled to compete in men's 58kg sparring |
An Hyang-sik's affiliation: Yong In University, also competing in sparring 58kg
News1 introduced An on the day of the match as a 22-year-old from Yong In University. In June, he was selected simultaneously for the national teams in virtual taekwondo and men's 58kg sparring. He earned the 58kg spot by coming through a selection event contested by four players. At the Muju World Taekwondo Grand Prix 58kg, he lost to Seo Eun-su and stopped at the round of 32.
The virtual elimination does not end his Games. An was scheduled to compete in men's 58kg sparring that afternoon. As of 11 a.m. on October 2, the reference time for this article, the result had not been reflected. He is on a virtual mat in the morning and a real mat in the afternoon. One player is thus doing both non-contact virtual competition and real sparring on the same day.
These results were cross-checked against multiple media reports rather than compared directly with the Games' official results sheet or Korea Taekwondo Association match data. The round-by-round figures are based on the Newsis report and were not confirmed as official records, and the subheading of the same article gives a "0-2 loss," which differs from the body text. His age was also given as 21 in other reports before the Games. Round 2, in which he left the opponent at 0 while keeping health of 180, was the only round An won that day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What was An Hyang-sik's result in virtual taekwondo?
He lost 1-2 in round score to Vietnam's Chau Ngoc Tuyet Sang in the mixed individual round of 16 and was eliminated. Newsis and Etoday reported that he lost the first round, won the second, and lost the third.
Q. How does virtual taekwondo differ from traditional sparring?
It is a non-contact competition in which headsets and motion-tracking sensors transfer players' movements onto virtual characters. This Games' event is a mixed individual event in which men and women compete together, and the winner is decided in a best-of-3, first to 2 wins format.
Q. Will An Hyang-sik compete in another event after his virtual elimination?
Yes. He is also a national team member in men's 58kg sparring, and he was scheduled to compete in sparring that afternoon. As of the article's reference time (11 a.m. on October 2), that result had not been reflected.
Related Official Sites
- Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organising Committee Taekwondo Guide — Official guide to the Asian Games taekwondo event
- Korea Taekwondo Association — Korean national team news and match data
- Virtual Taekwondo — Introduction to virtual taekwondo equipment and how the competition works
Featured image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo of the match in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Luketkd), CC BY-SA 3.0
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