With the start of the 17th Asian Games to be held at home just around the corner, members of the South Korean delegation said Thursday they’re determined to keep alive the country’s strong tradition at the continental competition.

The host country’s athletes and officials gathered for their team launch ceremony at Olympic Park in Seoul on Thursday, eight days before the official opening of the Asiad in Incheon, just west of the capital city.

At the Sept. 19-Oct. 4 competition, South Korea will have its largest-ever Asiad delegation with 1,068 members, including 831 athletes competing in all 36 sports.

The host aims to finish second in the medal standings for the fifth consecutive Asiad. China has been the dominant force at the Asian Games, having topped the medal table in every competition since 1982, and is once again expected to run away from the rest of the competition.

South Korea and Japan should once again duel for second place.

Japan has finished third behind the two regional rivals in each of the past four Asian Games.

South Korea believes 90 gold medals should be enough to accomplish the goal, and Park Soon-ho, president of the Korea Sailing Federation, who will be the head of the Asiad delegation, expressed confidence that the athletes will deliver the goods.

“We will field our largest delegation ever at an Asian Games, and it’s given us a great sense of pride to represent the country,” Park said. “All of our athletes have endured tough training, and I am confident that they will be able to perform to their full capabilities and inherit our proud athletic tradition.”

Park spoke of the tragedy that gripped the nation earlier this year, the April sinking of the ferry Sewol that left more than 300 people dead or missing. He said he hopes the athletes’ accomplishments at the Asiad “can heal our people and inspire them to move forward again.”

“We’re going to try our best to do our nation proud,” Park added. “We hope our people can cheer us on to greater heights.”

Paying tribute to the athletes’ hard work, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won said no obstacle will be too difficult for the Asiad representatives.

“The stage will be all yours, and I hope that you can all perform with pride as the face of the country,” Chung told the athletes in the audience. “I understand there will be pressure on you, but you have overcome adversities with such strong determination that you will all prevail at the end.”

South Korea will not lack for star athletes, and artistic gymnast Yang Hak-seon, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and the two-time world champ in the men’s vault, is expected to make headlines once again. He said he wants to accomplish individual glory and also help his teammates reach the top of the podium.

“I am going to do my best to win my second straight Asian Games title,” Yang said. “We haven’t won a team gold medal in the Asian Games yet and I will try to end the drought this year.”

Lee Dae-hoon, competing in the men’s 63 kg division in taekwondo, is also a title contender seeking his second straight Asiad victory.

“The Asian Games don’t come around every year,” Lee noted.

“I’ve already won a gold medal but I am not going to get too arrogant this year as I go for my second straight gold.”

Incheon is the third South Korean host of the Asian Games, after Seoul in 1986 and Busan in 2002.

According to Incheon officials, all 45 member states of the Olympic Council of Asia, the continent’s governing sports body, will participate in this year’s Asian Games, which will feature 36 sports. North Korea will send 150 athletes in 14 sports.

In total, about 14,000 athletes and officials are expected to descend on Incheon for the 16-day competition.

The men’s and women’s football tournaments will kick off on Sunday, five days before the opening ceremony. (Yonhap)