Ryu Joong-il managed South Korea's baseball team to victory at Incheon 2014 ©Getty Images

Ryu Joong-il has been appointed to manage South Korea’s baseball team at this year’s Asian Games.

South Korea has won three consecutive gold medals in the men’s baseball tournament at the Asian Games.

When the nation won gold on home soil at Incheon 2014, Ryu was the manager.

The 58-year-old is also a four-time Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League winner as a manager.

Ryu’s Samsung Lions won four straight Korea Series titles from 2011 to 2014.

Ryu has not managed in the KBO since 2020, when he left LG Twins.

While South Korea may have won the last three Asian Games baseball titles and five of the last six, Ryu’s task promises to be more challenging at Hangzhou 2022.

South Korea underwhelmed at Tokyo 2020, failing to win a medal ©Getty Images
South Korea underwhelmed at Tokyo 2020, failing to win a medal ©Getty Images

Only players aged 24 and under are set to be considered for selection, with the KBO opting against taking a break for the Asian Games.

At Jakarta-Palembang 2018, Sun Dong-yol was South Korea’s victorious manager.

Kim Kyung-moon was manager for Tokyo 2020 last year, where South Korea made a disappointing defence of their Olympic title.

The side failed to win a medal, losing to eventual champions Japan as well as the United States in semi-finals before losing a bronze-medal match against the Dominican Republic.