"World's 10th Target" Clashes With Thailand, Peeks Into Korean Volleyball Future After 'Kim Yeon-kyung'
"World's 10th Target" Clashes With Thailand, Peeks Into Korean Volleyball Future After 'Kim Yeon-kyung'
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Without Kim Yeon-koung, 37, the national team struggled. With her complete retirement from the V-League, interest in the future of Korean women's volleyball is growing.
An event will be held to give hints of the event. The event will be held on July 19 and 20 at Hwaseong Gymnasium in Gyeonggi Province between Korea and Thailand.
The two countries organized the event for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2019. The event was resumed in six years after Thailand, which has emerged as an Asian powerhouse surpassing Korea, was suspended due to the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) after winning two games and losing two games.
Korea's All Star, led by head coach Kang Sung-hyung, is comprised of players who will lead the V-League and Korean women's volleyball. Outside heaters Kang So-hwi (Korea Expressway Corporation), Park Jung-ah (Pepper Savings Bank), Jeong Yoon-joo (Hungkuk Life Insurance), who worked with Kim Yeon-koung, and league representatives middle blockers Lee Da-hyun (Hyundai Engineering & Construction) and Jung Ho-young (Director Jeong), and Kim Dae-eun (Korea Expressway Corporation), the main character of this year's Young Player Award, formed the All-Star team with senior setters Lee Go-eun (Hungkuk Life Insurance) and Yeom Hye-sun (Director Jeong).
For the Thai All-Star team, Tanacha Suktot (registered name Tanacha), who re-signed after playing as an Asian quarter for the Korea Expressway Corporation this season, led Thai players on the Korean soil.
Kiatipong Ratchatakienkai, who once led the Thai national team, has become the head coach again for the first time in eight years. "All the players are in top form and are good," said Kiatipong, who participated in the media day held at the Rolling Hills Hotel in Hwaseong on Wednesday. "We will show our true selves."
Thailand's women's volleyball has grown to a level that Korea cannot easily afford to look into. Korea is also ranked 13th in the world rankings of the International Volleyball Federation, following China (5th) and Japan (7th). Korea had its heyday with Kim Yeon-koung, reaching the semifinals at the 2012 London and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but after her departure, Korea suffered humiliating loss for 30 consecutive years in the VNL, plunging to 35th place after slumping performance.
In the last five games, the team has been losing to the Thai national team with one win and four losses. Although it is not a match for the national team, it is a match that can never be taken lightly because of the pride of the players.
The Thai national team is aiming a higher goal. "My goal is to be in the top 10 in the world for the 2028 Olympics," said Kiatipong. "I keep trying to achieve that ranking every year," he said. "There will be the 2028 Olympics, but I'm trying to do well at the Asian Games next September. I think this visit to Korea can represent a great potential as the first gateway to the Olympics."
The Korean national team also recently announced the list of 16 national teams to prepare for the 2025 VNL in Brazil, Turkiye, and Japan starting in June, and will be convened at the Jincheon National Team Village next month to begin reinforcement training.
There are many players who are not in good shape long after the league ends, but a number of national team players such as Kang So-hwi, Lee Da-hyun, Jung Ho-young, Lee Go-eun, Jung Yoon-ju, Lee Joo-ah (IBK Industrial Bank), Lee Ju-ah (GS Caltex), Lee Sun-woo (Jung Director) and Kim Se-bin (Korea Expressway Corporation) are included, which is expected to be an opportunity to work together in advance.
As this All-Star team is full of young guns that need to lead the future, it is also necessary to appeal to volleyball fans who focused their attention on Kim Yeon-koung that the future of Korean women's volleyball is never dark. "The overall system is a team that is so good," coach Kiatipong said. "We run the game efficiently in all aspects." It will never be easy to deal with," he said, expressing caution.
Coach Kang Sung-hyung also said, "There are many players I met as opposing teams. It was nice to meet you and I told you that you worked hard," adding, "I am not in good condition after joining the team after the vacation, but I also feel that I would like to take these players and form a team." 메이저사이트
"We started the training for two days, but everyone was not in good physical condition. I also asked (Kang) So-hwi and he said he had muscle pain. It's a tough situation, but I hope he can overcome it," Kang said. "I don't think I can expect much from the team work. I think I should push ahead with my personal technique."