Competing in his first Asian Games, 'Zeka' Kim Geon-woo shared that he overcame the nerves of performing on such a major stage through trust in his teammates. Stating that adjusting locally has also been smooth, he revealed his commitment to keeping South Korea's gold medal pursuit on track by preparing for any unexpected opponent strategies in the semifinals.
On September 30, South Korea defeated Chinese Taipei, India, and Hong Kong in succession during the Group Stage of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 'League of Legends' event held at the Aichi Sky Expo in Japan. Starting in the matches against Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong, Zeka helped secure three consecutive wins and a first-place finish in Group B. South Korea will face Saudi Arabia in the semifinals on October 1.
In a post-match interview, Zeka confessed he felt very nervous ahead of their first match against Chinese Taipei. "Because it is such an important tournament, I was nervous, but once the match started, all my teammates played so well," he said. "By trusting my teammates, I was able to play comfortably."
Before the tournament, he was more concerned about environmental changes than the matches themselves. However, he explained that thanks to preparing for off-stage variables such as sleep schedule and meals while still in Korea, he is adjusting in Japan without major difficulties.
Looking ahead to the semifinals, he remained cautious of potential new strategies from Saudi Arabia. Since they face players from a league they do not normally play against, his approach is to prepare for various scenarios. "Hong Kong also brought out a new strategy in the last match. Any team can prepare strategies like that," Zeka said. "We will prepare more drafts and responses to unforeseen variables. In the end, managing our condition will likely be the most important factor."
He anticipated a close match in the other semifinal between Chinese Taipei and Vietnam. While Zeka held Chinese Taipei's 'JunJia' and 'HongQ' in high regard, he explained that Vietnam's mid and jungle duo, whom they faced recently, also showed great skill. "I think Chinese Taipei has high fundamental strength, but I expect the two teams to put on an exciting, neck-and-neck match," he said.
Finally, Zeka reassured fans worried about the unfamiliar tournament environment, sharing that he is adapting well on site. "I want to thank the fans cheering from Korea and all the citizens supporting the national team," he promised. "I will do well until the end and definitely bring home the gold medal."
